Klutz
by blu blade
Summary: (On Hiatus) Sora Hikaru has it all. Friends. Good grades. There's only one problem: his clumsiness. Why did everything he touch come back ruined? Why couldn't he stand on his own two feet? And why, after 3 years, was Riku Tarada back in Lucky High? SR, AR and more!
1. The Klutz

**It's blu blade here, with a new chapter story. This is my limit! I don't know if I can juggle two stories at once! At least this one focuses more on Sora and Riku rather than Axel and Roxas, but they're in it anyway! **

**I was just about to finish up the next chapter for STACGL, I promise I was, but what had happened was...I happened to notice the lack of really good Soiku stories. I understand that they are the old favorites, but they're classic! I just had to support the rebirthing of Soiku! Thus, Klutz was born.**

**Rating: T-M (I'm still a little scared to write a lemon...so we'll start off fairly safe. I'll warn you if I up it a level.)**

**Disclaimer: So I went to Disney World this summer and made a wish to own Kingdom Hearts, and guess what? My dream didn't come true! Curse Disney and their false advertising. (I own neither square-enix/soft or it's characters either.)**

**Warnings: Language for later chapters, violence, and frequent references to sex.**

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The thing is, I wasn't always a klutz. I used to be really graceful, actually. I'm a surfer, so one would assume I have that balance, hand-eye coordination thing going for me. And I do…when I surf.

And yet…when my feet touch land, all of that grace vanishes. It's been like that ever since the start of my eighth grade year. Even now, it's the third week of my sophomore year and my grace still hasn't returned to make an appearance on land.

They call me Klutz, due to this lack of elegance.

So it wasn't any big shock to me when I tripped and fell going_ up_ the hill to school. Never could I have imagined that falling up a hill was possible. But here I am, a living legend, with a huge gash on my knee to prove it.

Jack doesn't know how lucky he is. At least he has enough grace to actually fall down a hill correctly.

"Don't worry about it Sora. I'm sure no one saw."

Trust my best friend Kairi to see it that way. Kairi is always looking on the bright side of things. She's probably the last living optimist in Lucky High. The sad thing is, I used to look at things sunny side up too. What changed?

My balance changed. Kairi keeps telling me it's only an effect of my body going through pubescent changes and that I'll grow out of it, but I'm pretty sure my body stopped growing my freshman year. I'm ridiculously short for a sixteen year old.

Kairi was wrong. Someone did in fact witness my battle with gravity. Actually, to be exact, two people saw.

Those two people were none other than Axel and Roxas, the dynamic duo of trouble.

Now the thing to remember about Roxas is that he used to be as innocent as virgin snow. He used to smile this goofy little smile all the time and help little old ladies across the street; bless his heart. But he was tainted.

Yes, Roxas was tainted from the second he met Axel. Axel is just naturally manipulative and mischievous. Everywhere he goes, havoc is sure to follow. He back talks to teachers and likes to prank innocent people. Not to mention his fascination with setting inanimate objects on fire.

So you can imagine our surprise when Roxas announced that Axel was his best friend. And gradually, Roxas began to get into more and more trouble until Mrs. Haiku, his mom, forbade Roxas from hanging out with the older and naughty Axel.

But we all know what happens when parents forbid you from doing something. Roxas became determined as ever to see Axel, and he began to sneak out to see him. Once he even spent the night at the pyro's house for fear of having to leave.

It took the joint efforts of my mom and Mrs. Tomura, Kairi's mom, to convince Mrs. Haiku that the best thing to do would be to let Roxas and Axel remain best friends.

And in the end, it was. It's funny, but influence goes both ways. Axel's temper and love for mischief cooled down a bit in hanging with Roxas.

Well, it's been three years since then, and they've developed a reputation for being hardcore troublemakers. If a bucket of slime falls on you when you open your front door, you know who did it.

The last thing to know about them is the fact that they're dating. Yeah, as they got older, their feelings for each other intensified, and now they're dating. But don't misunderstand me. Although they're going out, they're not exclusive. So both of them are free to see other people; I know for a fact that Axel is the only one that Roxas' is seeing, but Axel likes to play the field.

So all of that history aside, I wasn't shocked to find them dying of laughter either.

"Only _you_ would fall going up a hill." Axel gasped between chuckles. Roxas clutched his stomach and began to take deep breaths, the pressure of the laughter beginning to hurt.

"Sora, don't worry, we're not laughing at you." Roxas started, wiping tears from his eyes.

"We're laughing with you." Axel finished, sighing the sigh one only sighs after a good laugh.

"You guys, that isn't nice. These hills are dangerous!" Kairi scolded them, waggling her finger at them. Oh yeah, because _that_ would definitely make them feel bad.

Roxas and Axel exchanged swift glances before starting to laugh again. Kairi huffed and grabbed my wrist, dragging me up the hill. Part of me wondered if the reason for holding my hand was to prevent me from falling again, but I brushed it aside.

Because the fact of it is, Kairi's my best friend. And she would do anything for me.

In fact, Kairi's the complete opposite of that jerk-off Riku.

And I ain't lying.

"Sora… SORA?" Kairi waved her hand in front of my face, trying to get my attention. I blinked at her. I must have been zoning out. I do that sometimes, get lost in my memories. I need to learn to live in the present.

"Sorry." I apologized, noting that we were already at school. Axel stopped to talk to a group of girls and Roxas caught up to us, a scowl on his face. I gave him a sympathetic look.

Roxas hates the fact that Axel dates around. To be frank, Roxas wants Axel all to himself. But Axel, the big dummy, has some commitment issues. Or at least that's what I think. In the end, it'll all work out though. And I was sure to tell Roxas this too.

"Whatever. He can have as many fuck buddies as he wants, see if I care." Roxas snapped, storming down the hall. I suppressed a smile. Roxas was so whipped. Oh, and see what I mean about the tainted thing? Three years ago Roxas wouldn't even know what 'fuck' was.

Kairi, who I had forgotten was even next to me, giggled lightly and swished her hair over her shoulders. Coincidentally, Yuna passed by as she did this, friendly smiling at everyone she passed. "Hi Klutz. Kairi. You better hurry up and get to class."

"Yes Lady Yuna." I nodded. Lady Yuna was the nickname everyone at school called her by. I guess it's because she's so beautiful with her two different colored eyes that people like to place her on this pedestal.

"She's so perfect. Yuna could never love me." Kairi sighed dejectedly. Kairi was head over heels for Yuna, but she would never admit that to anyone but me. And it was times like these that I had no clue what to do. I simply couldn't relate to her. I mean, maybe three years ago…

No. What's done is done. There is no need to dwell in the past.

"We better get to class before the bell rings. I'll see you later Sora." Kairi mumbled to me, taking off towards the opposite end of the hallway. I frowned. Poor Kairi. For someone so pretty, she sure lacked confidence.

I turned around sharply and bumped into Namine, who in turn dropped all of her books. Damn. Klutz strikes again!

"I'm so sorry, Namine!" I cried, bending down quickly to pick up her books. But before she could even say it wasn't a big deal, Seifer Almasy tripped over my hunched body, slapping into Namine, who fell into the trash bin, which toppled into Axel who caused a domino effect with everyone in the hall.

Oops.

But I was saved. At the exact moment I was about to be beaten up by Seifer and the rest of the kids no doubt, the doors to the school opened and a breath of what smelled like rain water and papou fruit filled the atmosphere.

Oh no. I knew that smell. It was the smell I dreamed about every night for three painful years. It was the smell I had been trying to forget!

This was not happening.

"Who's that?"

"He's cute!"

"Oh, wow!"

Those were three out of the millions of comments erupting from the student body as they all unconsciously took a few steps back, effectively hiding me from the newcomer's vision. Good riddance.

I heard the effortlessly graceful footsteps of familiar boots and my heart raced. So it _was_ him. He _was_ back.

And when he spoke, it was the sexiest voice I had ever heard. He only said three words. And those words made my heart speed up and slow down at the exact same time.

"Where is Sora?"

And that had been the day that I died.

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**I don't think you guys realize how happy it makes authors to get reviews. Well, I know I do. And I really don't mind flames and criticisms...I mean, I'd prefer happy things, but I'll take the mean stuff. I need to work on my style anyway. **

**-BB**


	2. The Beauty

**I know this chapter is way overdue and I'm sorry about that! I was in the biggest writer's block (don't you just hate that name) and I ended up writing like, three different versions of this chapter.**

**So anyway, now we get to see Riku's point of view. This story is going to switch off between Sora and Riku so you can get the 360 degree view of the story! **

**I'll do the warning and stuff next chapter, because I have some discretions now. Teehee!**

**Thanks to Nathali (I know, I feel for Roxas too!), undeniable . xx (lol, semi cliff...thanks!), SuperFriendlySoraFan203 (I had this friend who broke his leg falling up a hill. Everyone laughed at him too. I have to admit, I did too, but I feel bad about it now...lol) Mentally Insane Fangirl (hehe, yea, i'm sure Riku will soothe him, lol) and pichu10176 (I'm going, i'm going, i'm going! lol)**

**On to the story!**

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**Enter Riku:**

As I stared at the door to Lucky High, hearing Cloud's car speed away to no doubt meet Leon, a feeling of dread crossed over me. What if everyone thinks I'm ridiculously attractive again?

I know that when I say this, no one is going to believe me but…It's hard being beautiful.

Now, I don't mean to sound conceded when I say that, but in my case, it's true. I mean, consider this. My best friend fell in love with me, presumably due to my looks seeing as I have nothing else really going for me. Back in The Castle, my old school in Bastian Bay, almost everyone assumed I was vain and stuck-up, so I was rarely approached. I just can't understand this!

Let me analyze myself here.

My name is Riku Tarada, a seventeen year old transferring junior.

I have wispy, feathery silver, yes _silver_, locks that reach mid back. I have slightly squinty, which I hate, aqua-marine eyes. One of my best friends used to tell me they changed colors depending on my mood so…

Let's see…well, some people think I'm cocky and arrogant, and I'd have to say that I disagree with them. I have very high self confidence in myself, and I don't think I should be penalized for it. I mean, don't high school counselors encourage confidence in their students?

Personally, I find it a little hypocritical and just a tad bit offensive. Who are they to tell me I'm _too_ confident?

Right. Moving on.

Uh, I don't seem to have anything special about me. That's probably why it's so hard being so beautiful for me. Because I realize that there's nothing about me that's extraordinary, so the only reason people want to be my friend is my looks.

Honestly? I wish I was less appealing. I wish I was normal. I want to be able to walk down the street, the streets I've come to know and love, and not be mobbed by amateur photographers who are inspired by me.

But that's another story for another time. At the moment, that's the least of my problems.

At the moment, I've successful managed to somehow capture the attention of every one of my peers who happened to be in proximity.

Normally, I'm not very shy. But when a bunch of students are staring and whispering about you, you'd be surprised at how tongue tied you can get. So I blurted out the first thing I could think of.

"Where is Sora?"

No one answered. I did hear a faint wheezing sound that could quite possibly be Sora, but I doubted it. Sora's hyperventilation problem had been cured before I left.

If anything, my question induced even more staring. I glanced down at myself. Was something wrong with me?

No, it didn't look like it. I was wearing the required uniform for Lucky High. Blue slacks and a matching blue suit jacket with a stripped blue and white tie. I didn't look any different from the other boys here.

Well, except one. He had wild rose red hair and stunning lime neon green eyes, and two little backward triangle tattoos under said eyes. What really caught my attention about him, though, was his uniform. He was barely wearing it! He only wore the blouse portion of the uniform, his tie was undone and slung defiantly around his neck, and his blue slacks had the knees torn out.

He wasn't staring at me like the others. In fact, he seemed to be looking for someone in the sea of frozen bodies.

He turned his head and caught my gaze. A slow smirk found its way onto his face as he made his way over to me, his eyebrows raised slightly.

I grinned back at him, not put off at all. I was used to being approached randomly anyway.

"Axel." The guy introduced. His voice was sincere and friendly. It reminded me of Sora a little bit.

"I'm Riku. Riku Tarada." I told him, holding out my hand for him to shake. Axel just stared at it for a second before taking it in his own and pulling me in for a small hug. My eyebrows rose in surprise. Back in Bastian Bay, no one ever hugged anymore.

"What up? I see you're new here." Axel commented once he released me, either ignoring my surprise or not noticing it. "Don't mind these guys. They're always shell shocked at a pretty new face. You know how it is with small schools."

Small school..? Boy was that an understatement. The school was huge! Lucky High was bigger than The Castle in Bastian Bay, and that school was deemed one of the largest schools in the world!

In fact, Lucky High was designed just like Hogwarts in those stupid Harry Potter movies. It was completely similar, except no one boarded in the school.

And there weren't random owls hanging around on the ceilings.

"So I hear you're looking for Sora? Oh, and what's your homeroom? The bell just rang while you were dreaming, you fairy." Axel's words suddenly broke into my thoughts with a _poof!_

He said something about Sora. That meant he knew him somehow.

I dug into my yellow EASTSPORT backpack and fished out a crumpled piece of paper from the bottom of the bag. Axel laughed and took the paper from my hands, smoothing out the kinks by using the straight of my back.

His cat like eyes scanned the sheet for half a second before he tossed it back to me. "You got Dr. Valentine." Suddenly his whole face brightened. "You're in Rocky's class!"

I cocked an eyebrow at him. Rocky? I scoffed slightly. The name sounded like it belonged to a wimp.

Axel began walking leisurely down the hall, whistling some tune under his breath. I stared after him, rooted to the spot. What if I couldn't trust this guy? I mean sure, we'd gotten along great thus far, but what is he was leading me to some dark alleyway so he could have his wicked way with me?

But then I noticed the blunt emptiness of the hall. I guess I seriously had been day dreaming! Ugh, that was another one of those habits I'd gotten from Sora.

Speaking of that, I'd forgotten to ask Axel how he knew him. I ran down the hall to catch up with him, stopping my new redheaded friend with my hand before he opened the door. Axel turned with a curious and impatient look on his face.

"What's wrong?" He wanted to know. I shifted my backpack on my other shoulder.

"You know Sora?" I inquired casually. Axel stared at me for a long second before his little smirk came back on his face. I was beginning to get the feeling that it was his trademark expression.

"Of course I do. Sora's my little sister's surf instructor and one of my closest friends." All of this Axel said with the ever so present smirk on his face, but suddenly the expression morphed into suspicion. "Why? What's it to you?"

I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly, hoping it looked every bit as convincing as my best friend back at Bastian Bay did when he did it. "No reason. I've just heard of him from a friend."

I hoped Axel would buy it. I really didn't want to start my junior year here with enemies, especially in the middle of the school year. I mean, if Axel was to find out what I'd done before I get a chance to apologize to Sora, he might not want to be my friend.

Axel squinted his eyes at me for a second, chewing on his tongue distractedly. Finally, the smirk came back and he laughed.

"Yeah, I don't doubt that. I think everyone's heard of Sora. Here." Axel pulled the door open and it hit the other side of the wall with a loud bang. Thirty pairs of eyes landed on us. I sighed. I would never get to just blend in.

Dr. Valentine made his way over to us, a disapproving frown on his face. The man was actually very young looking. He had on a dark red, almost burgundy cloak with a matching head band, his hair flowing in dark chunks. He had on black slacks and black duck shoes, and wore gloves on either hand; one gold and one midnight.

All and all, Dr. Valentine was pretty hot.

But he didn't look too happy at the moment. He looked pissed beyond measure, and he was holding a ruler in his hand almost as if it were a weapon. By the way his eyes were narrowed towards Axel I'd say they didn't have the best relationship.

"I assume you have a valid reasoning behind your disrupting of my classroom, _again_?" Dr. Valentine demanded, slamming the ruler down on the table. Axel just shrugged and snatched my crumpled schedule out of my hand, throwing it at Valentine's head.

The man caught it with one hand.

My classmates were still gaping at me. Well, all except one. A small blond boy with a slight resemblance to Sora was pouting at Axel, his arms folded in a gesture of solidarity. I stared at him. He sure did look familiar. Axel's smirk melted into a soft expression of longing, and he made to go over to the boy, but Dr. Valentine stopped him with his ruler.

"Ouch! I'll have you know that's illegal!" Axel cried, rubbing his head from where the ruler struck him. Valentine merely turned to me and handed me my schedule back. Then he faced the class.

"Class, it appears we have a new student, minus Axel. Meet Riku Tarada, a transferring junior from Bastian Bay."

Several students gasped. Others just shrugged. But there was only one response that managed to make me feel sick.

"RIKU?!" The blond boy exclaimed, sputtering to himself and pointing at me. Axel looked from me, to the blond boy.

"Roxas, what's wrong?" He said. Suddenly the pit of my stomach rushed to my throat, and I had to cover said throat to avoid retching all over the place.

"ROXAS?!" I gasped loudly, dropping my backpack to the floor.

Oh dear god, let this be a dream.

Dr. Valentine, ignoring the outbursts, handed me a thick textbook. "Welcome to Advance Calculus AB."

No.

_Welcome to Hell._

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**Next chapter Sora and Riku will meet, and we get introduced to all the other characters! Reviews are like Sora and my daily writer's block is like Ansem. Lol, so get those Sora's rolling and the faster my update will come! (That probably made no sense, lol!)**


	3. The Breakdown

**I am so sorry for the wait! But I made it extra long to compensate!!! And, seeing how it's 11:00 at night, I'm going to do the warnings NEXT chapter, because when I'm sleepy, I'm eligible. (what? see what I mean!!! Illegible? S.P?!?)**

**Reviewers: (This way is so much easier!)**

**SuperFriendlySoraFan203: (Wow, are you psychic?!? Good call on the Sora thing. Thank you!!!)**

**Undeniiable . xx: (Yay! A Sora! At least somebody got my comparison! Your feeling...it may be correct...)**

**pichu10176: (Lol, the power of three will set you free! I know...I'm kinda deeply disliking math this year.)**

**Nathali: (Ha, yes. Lol, I love cliffys.)**

**Tysonkaiexperiment: (Do I still get the cookie? Lol, here's the update.)**

**Okay guys, I have to tell you now, Riku and Sora's meeting in this won't be explained thoroughly until it's Riku POV, because for some reason, I can describe it better with him. But don't worry, this will have some minor Soiku interaction, and some Roxas...hee.)**

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**Enter Sora:**

Okay, no I didn't die. But before you call me a drama queen, just know that I could have! I started to hyperventilate, something that I have been deemed cured of, I'll have you know, and then the wheezing started. And then I knew I had to get outta there.

I shoved past the hordes of people and made a mad dash down the hall, only turning back once to see if Axel had managed to escape in the chaos.

What I saw made me stop dead in my tracks. Axel Akito, _my_ friend, Axel Akito, was laughing with an unidentified silver haired boy. I glared at the red head, willing his body to catch on fire. Wait a minute, I bet he'd like that.

Grr…just wait until Roxas found out about this.

That's right, I thought as I walked more leisurely to my homeroom, If Axel thinks he and Riku will become best friends forever, he's got another thing coming.

Then I promptly fell on my face.

_**1**__**st**__** Period**_

Tidus was staring at me.

I mean, really, really staring at me. His navy blue eyes were wide and searching, and his silver blond hair was glistening in a way that only meant one thing.

Tidus…was curious.

Now normally one being curious isn't necessarily considered a bad thing, but when it comes to Tidus, it's never anything to be proud of. The boy is unrelenting when he wants something explained to him, and that usually happened a lot. Honestly, I can't see how the ever impatient Wakka is best friends with him.

But anyway…the fact of it was, he was staring at me. And if Tidus was staring at me, he wanted something. And if Tidus wanted something, it would not end well.

Tidus finally noticed me noticing him and opened his mouth to say something, but to my relief, our teacher, a creepy guy named Xaldin, entered the room, brushing his shaggy braids out of his face and clearing his throat.

Talking ceased and almost immediately silence reigned. No one wanted to piss off the blue eyed time bomb.

Frowning slightly, Xaldin picked up the chalk and scribbled down a couple of words on the board, not seeming to notice all of his students cowering in fear. Tidus was chewing on his pencil like crazy, the guy sitting next to me was praying quietly in a state of panic, and I was trying very hard to fight the constricting of my lungs and the tight, dryness of my throat.

Finally, Xaldin turned around, raised an eyebrow at us, and sat at his desk, sipping on his morning triple espresso. My eyes wandered to the words on the board.

It read:

**This is the second week of school and I already have thirty students failing.**

**Until you get your grades up, and for some, your grace,**

I blushed furiously.

**I will not be teaching you anything at all.**

**Why try if you are not going to succeed? Instead I will assign a three month long project for you all.**

**Check the school website for details.**

**Until then, this will be a free period.**

**-Xaldin**

Tidus and I both looked at each other at the same time. What? Xaldin was notoriously known for giving out the toughest assignments in the school. If we weren't going to be learning anything or doing class work, this assignment must mean business.

But at least we got a free period out of it. Tidus immediately made his way over to my desk, slapping the hands of some of his team mates from soccer, the swim team, and blitzball on his way there.

Now Tidus is a very complex individual. He is the captain of the blitzball team, but he plays soccer and swims to become better at it. Yet…he hates basketball and football. Don't ask me why. I don't think I know anyone who doesn't like Tidus, not to say that it isn't possible, what with his naturally obnoxious voice –think Naruto- and his annoyingly natural tan. But if I had to describe him in one word, it would have to be spirited.

"Is it true? Is Riku really back?" Tidus wanted to know. I looked up slowly. He was perched on my desk, with a carefully constructed neutral expression on his face, toying with the shell necklace Yuna made for him. I smiled, thinking back to when Tidus had a major crush on Riku. Then I frowned. Why would that make me smile?

"Yeah, he's back. But maybe you should just go ask Axel, since they seem to be such good friends now." I fumed. Huh…I must be hanging around Roxas too much. That whole sentence had Roxas written all over it.

Tidus just shrugged and hopped off of my desk. "Sure, I will."

I refrained from rolling my eyes. Tidus was so literal sometimes. I watched him walk back to his desk before turning back around in my own. I curiously gazed over to where Xaldin was sitting. He was staring straight at me, blue eyes to blue eyes. My first instinct was to immediately look away. But then I noticed something. His eyes looked sad.

I turned away then, burying my head into my arms. That made two of us.

_**2**__**nd**__** Period**_

"Sora, I said no. I will not help you hire a hit man to kill Riku!" Kairi exclaimed as we both sat in the lair of the beast, A.K.A., Dr. Vexen Heart's Chemistry class. I folded my arms and glared at her. What did _she_ know about it anyway?

"Look, I know you're upset about Riku," Kairi sighed as we fished out our homework assignment while kids filed into the classroom, "but honestly, don't you think you're overreacting just a little bit?"

I turned away, a little annoyed. No. I didn't think I was overreacting at all.

Here's the thing about Kairi. She always has to analyze everything! What did it matter if I was freaking out just a little too much? The fact of it was, Riku was back, and my life as I knew it was over.

But of course Kai would never understand that. She still has no clue what Riku did to me, or didn't do to me, that night. And okay, I guess I can't blame her for that.

But I can sure as hell blame Axel for befriending him.

At that exact second, the second right before the bell rang, Roxas stormed into the classroom, ignoring the giggling girls behind him and plopped down next to us, with a majorly pissed off look on his face.

"Riku is back." He said simply in response to the confused looks on our faces. Kairi gave a little exaggerated sigh and threw up her arms.

"Honestly, would you guys just _deal_ already?!"

"Honestly, Miss Tomura, would you guys just _settle down_ already?!" Dr. Heart imitated. The class snickered while Kairi slumped down in her seat. The optimist never could take embarrassment very well.

"Turn the homework assignment in the proper bin while I take attendance." Dr. Heart murmured absently, typing furiously on his computer. I frowned. He sure was typing intently for someone just taking attendance. But whatever. It was none of my business. I don't know why I was so observant of my teachers today.

"Hey Kai, Rox, I'll take your homework up." I told Roxas and Kairi, scribbling my name on my paper. Roxas and Kairi looked at me expectantly.

"What's the punch line?" Roxas asked flatly. Kairi didn't put it quite so un-delicately, but she had that look on her face, like WTF is he talking about?

"What? I'm serious! The assignment bin is only like, five inches away!" I cried, pointing to the bin. A couple of kids were eyeing me wearily. Oh. OH…I understood. No one thought I could walk without breaking something!

Well I would show them!

Snatching Kairi and Roxas' homework, I strode up confidently, and slowly, to the bin in front of Dr. Heart's desk, pretending not to notice my classmates holding their breath, or my teacher watching me intently.

I carefully placed the three sheets of paper into the bin, and turned on my heel to get back to my seat. Everyone let out the breath they were holding.

Three things happened at once.

1. The door opened slowly and the smell of papou fruit and rainwater entered the atmosphere of the classroom- A silver haired boy graced us with his presence.

2. My foot collided with the leg of Kairi's desk and my shoe lash tangled with hers and suddenly she, me and the entire desk went crashing into Roxas.

3. Roxas, with his great reflexes, sprang up from his desk and dodged the flying colossal desk just in time. But the gravity of the force of his jump pushed him off balance, and he went tumbling straight into Riku's arms.

"Hey Roxas," Riku laughed hesitantly, grinning down at the blond in his arms, "I see we have Chemistry together too!"

There was a low growl, a shout, and a_ pow!_

_**Lunch**_

Here's the thing: No matter how much I hate him, Riku will always be my best friend. I guess that's why I'm able to feel sorry for him, almost an hour later, sitting at my lunch table full of friends, as he sits at the table across from us, alone, with a black eye.

I tell ya, Roxas is not a force to be reckoned with.

Even now, sitting in the seat next to me, the little blond beauty is growling as he eats his bowl of Ramen.

"Stop growling, you freak." Kairi ordered as she sat down in the seat on the other side of me. A hard glare was fired in her direction, but she ignored it, instead choosing to direct her attention to the crowd slowly forming in a line next to Riku's table.

"Isn't that a shame?" She asked suddenly, tilting her head over to the sighing girls in the front of the line. I glanced at her quizzically. What was she talking about? I pried open a little tube of chocolate and peanut butter Gogurt, inhaling the sweet smell of artificial cocoa. Roxas shuddered.

An unnatural silence cut across our table as Kairi fiddled patiently with her school lunch (pizza…honestly who eats that???) and I slurped up my Gogurt happily. Finally, Roxas cracked under the silence, and couldn't take it anymore.

"Fine, I'll bite. What's a shame?" Roxas wanted to know. He paused as a shy little freshman boy with a yellow tie timidly walked towards him, shakily holding out a piece of index card. All three of us looked from the boy, to the paper, and back to the boy.

"Uh…" Roxas began hesitantly as the boy's knees began to give out. "Do you need something?"

That was it for the boy. He threw the card at Roxas' face and burst out of the cafeteria, streams of angry cuss words trailing behind him. Roxas picked up the piece of paper and examined the writing on the card. Then, his passive expression morphed into one of pure disgust, and he ripped up the paper in three pieces.

"Damn _fuck buddies_!" Roxas muttered angrily before storming out of the cafeteria. Kairi and I were silent. And then, in a joint movement, we both grabbed at the pieces.

"Ouch, Kairi, let me-"

"-get the pieces so I can-"

"-see what has Roxas freaking-"

"-get out of the way!"

"Move!" We both simultaneously shouted, but it was I who managed to grab hold of all three pieces. I happily pushed them together, accidentally smudging a bit of peanut buttery chocolate on the makeshift card. But I digressed. The card read:

**Roses are red.**

**Your eyes are blue.**

**But those aren't enough**

**To keep Axel with you.**

**Give it up. He's mine.**

**-Secret Lover**

I frowned. Secret lover…? Who could Axel possibly be seeing that he's keeping from Roxas? Axel was crazy about Roxas! Kairi shifted the pieces towards her and scanned the card, her clear grey-blue eyes widening in surprise.

"But…I thought that, even though he fooled around, Roxas was the only one he was in love with? Who could this 'secret lover' be?" Kairi wondered aloud. I didn't know, but I knew one thing: this was strike two for Axel. I was just about to tell her this when four newcomers arrived at our table.

Newcomer one: Demyx Sunao

"Hey guys…you will not believe how sexy the new guy is!" Demyx exclaimed, slamming his tray down on the table. I cringed away from his tray, wrinkling my nose at the crispy chicken. Seriously…how in the world did they eat that stuff?

Demyx however, has never strayed away from food. In fact, the blond haired blue eyed Aquarius has never strayed from anything. He loves challenges, and is the best friend of Axel, the natural troublemaker…you know, other than Roxas and now…

Riku. That friend stealer…

I sighed. I didn't know why all of those girls were afraid to talk to him. Riku wasn't that sexy………..ugh. Who am I kidding? Riku was grade A top meat.

His hair was layered in feathery wisps, and his eyes were just glowing through those shaggy bangs of his. Those eyes…it was such a marvelous color of green at the moment. I frowned. That meant he was feeling sad…was it because of me?

Something panged inside of my heart, and I felt something ache in my chest. Kairi glanced at me, and out of the corner of my eye I could see her smiling knowingly at me. For some reason, that made me feel just a tad bit uneasy.

"What?" I asked her, expecting the worst. Kairi grinned wider.

"You know," She began, exchanging a wink with Demyx, "girls are nice and all, but I think the only thing Riku really wants is his Kiwi back."

"_Kiwi?!" _Newcomer two, three and four chimed at the same time.

Newcomer two, three and four: Rikku, Paine and Lulu.

"What is that-a pet name?" Paine monologued. That was the thing about Paine. She never really showed much emotion. No one ever asked why, it was just an accepted part of her. But the comments she did make were witty and sarcastic, and she was never awkward or at a loss of words.

"Yep. Riku used to call Sora that all the time." Kairi answered cheerfully. I pouted at her. Darn optimist.

"Sora, you look a little uncomfortable." Lulu observed, touching my arm. I lightened my pout a little bit. Lulu was one of Yuna's best friends, but they weren't the same. Yuna did things and acted certain ways because she was following her heart, whereas Lulu was more reserved, calculating and logical.

And finally, there was always the happy go lucky little sister of Axel: Rikku.

"So Sora-bear, are we going to have surfing lessons again after school?" Rikku asked, fiddling with her long blond braids. I smiled at her and choose to ignore the nickname. There was no point in arguing it; she would just keep calling me by it anyway.

Rikku took after Axel. She was a natural born trouble maker too, only she managed to snag the trust and companionship of all of her teachers, so she never got in trouble. That was one skill Axel never acquired. Rikku was also the other best friend of Yuna.

In fact, the four, Paine, Rikku, Yuna and Lulu, were pretty inseparable. It reminded me of Kairi, Rikku and I. Or at least…how we used to be.

I let my eyes wander over to Riku again. Axel was now present at his table, along with a shy looking Namine and a peppy Selphie. I resisted the urge to growl. All feelings of resentment for Riku came back.

So I see he had new friends.

I turned away from them and focused instead on what Kairi was talking to the three girls about.

"-So then I was like, 'Yuna, you dropped your pencil' and then she _smiled_, and then-" Kairi rambled. Lulu and Paine exchanged glances as Rikku began to giggle uncontrollably.

But I wasn't paying any attention to them. I was too busy analyzing this whole Riku business. Why did he come back then, if he didn't want to…

Oh.

Riku didn't come back for me. Riku just came back. I just happen to still be here.

Oh…oh god.

My lungs began to constrict and my throat started to get drier and drier. I tried to swallow, but the thought of Riku not wanting me was distracting me from the motion. The wheezing died on my tongue, and I began to choke.

"Sora!" Kairi was shouting, and Rikku, Paine and Lulu were gesturing wildly about something, but my vision was getting a little hazy and my ears were clogging up.

And then I heard him.

"Kiwi! Kiwi, please, breathe with me. For me. Please breathe for me!" Riku was whispering softly in my ear. On their own accord, my lungs heaved, and my throat instinctively swallowed before gasping for air.

Then I was suddenly swimming. No, _drowning_. I was drowning in a beautiful setting of aqua-marine and silver.

And the scent. It was everywhere. Rain water and papou fruit.

And then everything went black.

* * *

**Honestly, this chapter wasn't as good as it was in my head. But that's okay, I guess, don't think it was horrible. And everything in this chapter is NOT pointless...if I mention something, it WILL turn up in later chapters. So keep your eye out for any foreshadowing if you choose to read this chappie again. smile!**

**Reviews motivate me! And they make me smile!!! Hint, hint?!**


	4. The School

**Hi! This is being updated faster than I thought! Yeah, so this chapter is pretty long, so long in fact, that it's being split into two parts! Because every time I have Sora and Riku meet, it isn't thorough enough. So part 2 will be completely devoted to soiku: their meeting and their past.**

**Reviewers:**

**animeobsession: I don't know, you might just be right...whatever it is you think. Who knows?**

**pichu10176: Lol, I just love the idea of secret lovers...**

**SuperFriendlySoraFan203: I can only assume that he'll have a lot by the end of the day...jeez, I'm on chapter four and I'm not even half way done with the day. Whew!**

**Mentally Insane Fangirl: Sweet! And I'm smiling now too!**

**Colonel Roxas-chan: Ha, I do love those cliffies! Thank you!**

**random-laughter: Lol, I'm just happy I'm not the only one laughing!**

**Katraa: Thanks!**

**Candy-RinRin: Lol, I was trying to figure out an original nickname, and somehow Kiwi just came up!**

**Shia Ghost: Thank you! And I know what you mean with the Kairi thing. A lot of die hard SoraXRiku fans hate Kairi...but you know, she was still an important part in Sora's life and all that jazz so...I'm cutting her some slack.**

**Here's part one!**

**

* * *

Enter Riku:**

I like to think that I'm a pretty laid back kind of guy, you know? I try not to let things, or people for that matter, phase me. I'm beautiful, I'm intelligent…

And I'm screwed.

Let me tell you, no one wishes for this day to be over more than I do. This is NOT what Cloud described when he told me what my first day back at Lucky High would be like. But I guess beggers can't be choosers. I _was_ the one who begged for Cloud to take me with him after that faithful night in Bastian Bay.

But that's nothing compared to what happened just a few shy hours ago.

_**Homeroom**_

The funny thing is, I think that irony is in love with me. Who would have thought that the first boy I had ever been in love with would be the only who has ever really hated me. And then, to make matters worse, I was somehow seated next to him.

"What the hell, Dr. Valentine! Riku's last name is a T, and mine is an H. How in the world does that put him next to me?" Roxas had shouted as Axel watched us with a curious expression on his face. Dr. Valentine also looked pretty intrigued himself, but if he thought he was getting any information from me, he was mistaken.

Valentine raised an eyebrow at me. I knew what he was asking. 'Who are you and what did you do to make my star student act like this?'

I turned my head away ever so slightly. 'Mind your own damn business.'

Dr. Valentine finally shrugged, but he made no movement to change the seating arrangements. He merely opened the door to let Axel out, who, for some reason, left willingly, and made his way to the front of the class.

"So, Mr. Tarada, I don't know how far you have gotten in Advanced Calc in your past school, but here we're starting…" Valentine droned, but after awhile I tuned him out. An eerie feeling was making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up straight. I turned my head slightly to see startling baby blue eyes glaring at me, and a cute little pink lip poked out in fury.

Silence followed. The ball was in my court.

"Are you trying to intimidate me? Because if you are, I have to let you know now that with your baby face, it's not working." I whispered to him. The eyes narrowed even more, and I leaned back, satisfied. Got em'.

A firm kick was sent to my shin.

"Fuckin' hell!" I shouted, jumping up and turning to Roxas sharply. The entire class froze, and Dr. Valentine's creepy, almost scary eyes locked onto me. His expression looked extremely pissed off. Roxas, on the other hand, was peering up at me, a confused, ridiculously adorable innocent look on his face.

"What happened, Riku? I hope you weren't hurt or anything." He added a smile to the end of his little display, and a few tears shown in his big round eyes. A few sparkles glimmered behind him and a halo outlined his shining blond hair.

What. The. _HELL._

No way was I taking the fall for this violent, destructive, monster! I had to do something! And if that meant being a snitch, well…bring it on.

"Dr. Valentine, Roxas just-"

"Detention, Tarada."

Roxas glared victoriously at me and I buried my head in my arms. Well that backfired horribly.

_**The Hallway**_

Axel was waiting for us outside of our classroom after class, chatting up a pretty blond girl with crystal blue eyes. She was wearing the required girls' uniform for Lucky High, a blue pleated skirt and a short-sleeved button down shirt with a tie, and was toying shyly with all the hair she had pulled to the left side of her shoulders.

I figured he was busy, so I casually made my way around them, smoothing out my schedule and blindly walking in a random direction. I had no clue where I was going.

Something made Axel look up, and the red head immediately looked in my direction.

"Riku! Come here, I want you to meet somebody!" He called out. I slowly walked back over to them, keeping my eyes downcast. I could feel the eyes of everyone in the hall, and it was making me sick. I was so tired of being the center of everyone's attention.

"Riku, this is Namine, my…" Axel paused, and both he and Namine blushed. "She's my good friend." He decided on. "Namine, this is Riku, my new puzzle."

Puzzle? Excuse me? Riku was no one's puzzle! He was one group of pieces that refused to be put together!

…Huh?

Namine giggled into her hand and peered up at me under her long dark eyelashes. "Nice to meet you, Riku."

I couldn't say I returned the favor. I squinted my eyes at her. She looked so familiar. It was almost as if she was a girl version of someone else, someone I was close to, but I couldn't put my finger on it. It was frustrating me to even look at her.

"Yeah, you too." I finally responded, letting a small grin spread on my face. Inwardly, I sighed. It was only a matter of time before that grin of mine came out. It was what I was known for, no matter where I went. Riku Tarada, the grinning pup.

"Well, we'll see you later, Namine." Axel froze as Namine leaned up towards him, almost as if she wanted a kiss! I frowned a little. But…I thought he was, I don't know, "together" with Roxas? Or something…?

Didn't Axel know who Roxas was? Didn't Axel know that when it came to Roxas, you had to be committed all the way or nothing at all? Didn't Axel know that with Roxas, it was romance not chance?

But what do I know? I was only his-

"Riku! Earth to Riku!" Axel was shouting in my ear. I jumped. Where was I?

"Huh?" I said intelligently.

"I _said,_ the bell is going to ring in about forty seconds. You were being a fairy again and dreaming." Axel handed me back my schedule. He must have taken it while I was…being a fairy. "You have the Beast next. Come on."

The wha…?

This day was not going too well. And where the hell was my Kiwi?

Kiwi was the nickname I had given Sora after we first met. I could very clearly remember it, but to go into it now would nearly give me a heart attack.

Lately, every time I thought of my life three years ago, the life I had left behind, my heart panged painfully in my heart. It's just…I guess I still can't believe that the place I left isn't the place I've come back to. The place I left was pure, and unadulterated. Now it's…

I don't know. An alternate Wisteria Lane.

"RIKU!" Another shout filled my ear. I blinked again. I guess I was doing it again.

"Are you _trying _to be late to the lair of the beast on your first day? Because if you are, then I know a better way than just standing in the middle of the hallway." Axel smirked. I grinned. If he was offering, well…who was I to refuse?

_**Outside…uh, somewhere**_

I guess because this day was going by so fast, I hadn't had a chance to really observe my surroundings. I'd been so focused on finding Sora and dealing with Roxas that I had yet to stop and smell the roses.

I was back home! I was back with my true friends, albeit they were upset with me. I was back in Lucky High!

Axel snuck me past security and outside the school doors, dragging me along by the wrist. It was sunny, and the sun's beams were smiling down at us. There was a quiet breeze, and I welcomed it with a grin I just couldn't muffle.

I don't know if anyone noticed but…I loved the outdoors.

"Axel, where are we going?" I asked, but I didn't really care. As long as we stayed in the outside, it would be alright wherever we went. Axel peered at me behind his shoulder and smirked at my expression.

"I see you're an outdoorsy person." He chuckled, and then sighed wistfully. "Roxas is too."

I blanched and internally slapped my forehead. Damn. I _knew_ that! I would have to be more careful in the things I openly enjoyed.

"I don't know if you noticed when you first got here, but we have an amazing garden here. I like to come here sometimes when I'm feeling overwhelmed, or just stressed." Axel said as we finally stopped. That's when I noticed. We were literally surrounded by flowers of all kinds. Wildflowers, violets, dandelions. It was amazing.

"They say," Axel explained as we both sat down onto the flower bed, "that an alumnus created this. That during his first year here, he and his two best friends would come here every night, and tend to it. When they graduated, they passed down the job to three worthy freshmen. Every four years it passes down."

I stared at Axel. He was leaning back on his hands and his eyes were closed. I studied him. Axel was very attractive, it was true, but I was attracted to him in a different way. It was mental. It was strange, but I felt some kind of connection to him.

Jeez, could I be any more of a loser?

"Axel, I don't understand you." I offered up out of the blue, leaning back in a similar position to the one he was in. He opened a neon green eye at me and it narrowed in confusion.

"Huh?"

"I mean, one minute you're this rebel. The next you're this player player. And now you're this gentle guy who knows a lot about flowers. Who are you?" I blurted out. I almost immediately shut my eyes and cursed myself internally. Jeez, if we were friends before he sure wasn't going to want to be it now.

But Axel didn't look insulted. He just looked thoughtful as he fiddled with the stem of a sunflower. The sun made his hair look almost as if it were burning. Finally, after about five minutes of silence, he looked up at me, his emerald orbs guarded.

"I asked myself the same question when I first realized I was in love with Roxas." Axel sighed, plucking the sunflower from its roots. I gulped. I shouldn't have even asked. Now he was going to talk about Roxas. But as he started explaining, I found myself curious.

"For as long as I can remember, I've been this sexy, funny loner to everyone. You know, the guy who you always turn to to crack a joke in an awkward situation. The guy who always acts out in class. The guy who prays on young virgins and shows them just how great sex can really be. I was basically just a loving, popular, bastard of a rebel." Axel paused as he twirled around the sunflower. A soft smile spread on his face. "Then I met Roxas."

"Roxas was everything I didn't want in a friend. He was quiet. He was shy. He was, ridiculously intelligent and was on the short, bossy side. I had never even seen him talk before. I was a freshman in high school trying to get my rep together while he was a mere child in the seventh grade who was well known on the island for being, 'the brightest mind since Albus Dumbledore.' Needless to say, I stayed away from him."

I caught myself scratching the back of my head. I honestly couldn't remember the Roxas he was describing. The Roxas I remembered was sweet and naive and spoke all of the time. But I remained quiet. I had to figure out who this Roxas was now.

"But one day I was working at The Hollow Connection, a nice walk-in diner, waiting tables when he just walks in. He was seated alone and isolated in the back, dark corner of the room, and all he ordered was some lemonade. He wasn't in my waiting section, however, so I wasn't able to take his order. But I did notice that whenever I passed, his big, round_ beautiful_ baby blue eyes always followed me."

A gentle breeze ruffled our hair, and I quickly pulled my silver tendrils into a tight pony-tail. He wasn't done yet.

"So, being the bastard that I was, I decided I was going to go over there and tell him off for watching me like some kind of freak. I stormed over, slammed down the dirty plates I had been carrying, and plopped down next to him."

Axel's fist suddenly clenched, and his jaw tightened. I stared at him, confused, but he kept going.

"And then he asked," Axel said slowly, angrily, "'Have you ever been cheated on?' I shook my head and told him no. Because I hadn't. And at the time, I couldn't see that he was asking for help."

Axel stopped to take a deep breath, which gave me time to indulge in one of my nervous habits. I chewed furiously into my already non-existent thumb nail and shut my eyes, trying to chase away the bad memories that were threatening to resurface.

Once Axel calmed himself down he began again.

"After he asked me that question, he promptly left the diner, leaving me sitting there, confused. But I let it go. I mean, I figured he was just having one of those 'emo' moments I heard so much about. But he was back the next day, at the same table, still watching me. This time when I went over to him, he asked me an entirely different question, one that caught me completely off guard."

A smirk crossed his face, and I relaxed a little bit.

"What did he say?" I wanted to know. The smirk widened.

"He said, 'My name is Roxas Haiku. I'm a seventh grader, but I can't stop thinking about you. I think it's because you're so gorgeous, but I'm not sure. So I was wondering what you're name was.'"

_**The Hallway**_

"He really said that?" I whispered dubiously as Axel and I crawled around the security guards legs. Axel just rolled his eyes at me and signaled me to shut the hell up. I obliged.

When we managed to get past him, he showed me the way to my second period, telling me I was about ten minutes late, and if we didn't hurry up, I was going to be counted absent.

That surprised me. Not the absent part, but that we'd only been gone for about fifteen minutes. It felt like hours in that garden. But I guess that's what happens when you really connect with somebody. You lose track of everything.

"I didn't really answer your question." Axel pointed out after a second of silent walking. I grinned at him.

"I know. That didn't answer, 'Who are you?' That answered, 'Who do you want to screw?'"

Axel laughed. "Shut up. The reason I told you that story was because I was pointing out that Roxas changed me. After he said that, we got to talking, and soon we became best friends. But now I always feel an intense confusion. Who I _want _to be is not who I _used_ to be or_ should_ be…and I don't know what's right anymore."

…Huh?

He stopped and it took me a second to realize we were standing in front of the classroom. Axel peered inside before snickering.

"Have fun. It looks like you're about to walk in on a train wreck."

But before I could question him or demand for him to explain, he was gone. I frowned. Did he _not_ have any classes or anything?

I took a deep breath and opened the door slowly, hoping Axel was wrong.

Sora and Kairi were lying on the floor, groaning, with two desks toppled on top of them, and something was suddenly in my arms. Huh?

I looked down, and my face froze in horror. I was looking death right in the face.

"Roxas," I said slowly, laughing hesitantly. Oh crap. Think quick! Say something that will ease over the situation!

"I see we have chemistry together too!" I exclaimed. I also added a grin at the end. He used to find my grins irresistible, so maybe…

Roxas, the little demon, punched me in the face.

This was war.

"Detention, Roxas. I told you that there would be no more violence in my science lab!" Dr. Vexen growled roughly, shoving Roxas into his seat. He turned to me then, and I think my heart stopped beating. Dr. Vexen really was one scary looking dude.

"Tarada. You. Sit." He hissed, pointing to a seat smack dab in the front. I groaned.

Could this day get any worse?!

_**Lunch**_

Apparently it could.

I got lost on my way to lunch and ended up having to go to the office to get an escort like a loser. Everyone knew that if someone volunteered to show you around, like Axel, it was cool. But having a teacher escort you, especially when obligated, it's ridiculously embarrassing.

To make matters worse, I couldn't find Axel anywhere, and he was the only one who would talk to me! The girls were too shy, Kairi was sticking by Sora, and Sora, who I found out was refusing to talk to me- which hurt by the way, hadn't forgiven me yet, along with Roxas.

That's how I found myself sitting at the only empty table in the entire cafeteria, alone. And to add insult to injury, it was right across from Sora's table, full of people.

Seeing how I can't stand lunch food, and Cloud forgot to give me money to buy groceries, I occupied my time by watching and studying them.

Kairi really had grown up. Her pixie cut had grown out into long strands of a richer, redder brown coloring, but she was still wearing the purple hair clip that I had gotten her for her tenth birthday. My heart swelled a little. Her eyes now had a more grayish tint to them instead of just the light blue that it used to be, and her features were softer.

And, not that I was looking but…she had breasts!

She kept looking up at me and speaking to Sora, and occasionally she would roll her eyes at Roxas, but other than that she looked like classic, pretty Kairi.

Now that I was a safe distance away, I peaked at Roxas. He was scowling down into his noodles, but I noticed that every few seconds his eyes would flit around the cafeteria, searching for someone.

I smiled knowingly to myself. Not doubt that it was Axel. Even I, who had only been back for a few hours, could see that he was hooked on the red head. During chemistry, I noticed him doodling 'I love Axel' and 'Mrs. Axel Akito' on the cover of his notebook, and it had took me all my willpower not to laugh.

But anyway. Roxas' hair was no longer the smooth, Richie Rich style it used to be. It now broke all the laws of physics, just like Sora's. It was a more golden color now, as if it had absorbed the light from the sun. His eyes were still that strange mixture of light blue and purple, and his glares still looked like pouts.

But one thing had changed. Roxas' cheeks were in a constant rosy state, which meant he was constantly thinking of one thing.

I think we all know who that is…

Moving on from Roxas, I gazed over to the one person I wanted to talk to most. Sora.

My heart began to sputter like crazy and my breathing became uneven. Just looking at him made me go crazy…he was still my form of heroine. It was almost as if I was a recovering addict that was watching the drug being swung back and forth in my face.

Sora's skin had darkened and tanned, and it seemed to just sparkle under the dim lights of the hanging candles. His features had softened, and his eyes seemed to be even bluer than I remembered. It was such a clear solid electric blue, almost like High Definition, that it took my breath away.

His hair had less of a forest tint, and was replaced with a mahogany brown, making his eyes look more startling than before. The spikes were longer and more pronounced, and that goofy smile was still present. I sighed. Thank god that wasn't another thing I had taken away from him.

Sora was slurping on that artificial junk he loved so much as Roxas wrinkled his nose at him. I resisted the urge to laugh. Sora was always a strange one, I would give him that. He loved artificial, fake foods, like Peanut Butter Gogurt and Splenda. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Roxas couldn't even be near them without getting sick. And yet, the two are as close as brothers.

That thought made me feel sick as a wave of guilt engulfed me.

I looked back up again, painfully, and saw-

Selphie?!?

"What the-" I cried out, falling out of my chair. But of course, I did it with elegance.

Selphie laughed and sat down next to me, digging in to her garden leaf salad. I picked my pride, er, I mean, myself, back up and sat down wearily. I had forgotten how exhausting one moment with Selphie could be.

"I had heard from a couple of kids- well, a lot of kids, that you were back, but I didn't believe it, you know? I mean, I figured you would have called or something, after three years of just disappearing, if you decided to come back." Selphie went on, forking some lettuce into her fork. I could hear the bitterness in her voice.

"I'm sorry. It happened kind of suddenly." I murmured softly. I really was sorry. But Selphie wouldn't be convinced that easily.

"What, for the mystery of the magical Great Disappearing Act or the three year hiatus from the story we call our lives?"

I winced. "Both."

Selphie just shook her head and sighed petulantly. "Honestly, Riku, do you have any idea of how much it crushed both Roxas and Sora when you just vanished without a trace? And then, for Sora to have to find out from a _text message_, sent by your _grandmother_, that you've moved to Bastian Bay? What the_ hell_ were you thinking?"

I grimaced. Selphie was vicious when she was pissed. But I honestly couldn't answer her question. I couldn't answer it because I_ hadn't_ been thinking. When I left Destiny Island and Lucky High, my mind almost instantly shut down on me. I was going through the motions of moving without the heart.

I didn't have my heart because…well…Sora had it.

"I really am sorry, Selphie." I whispered. When she didn't answer, I tried again. "Seriously. And I'm glad that you came to tell me off. I missed this- you being pissed at me and me apologizing shamelessly- when I was gone."

Selphie sighed noisily. "You're so lucky I still consider you my best friend. Well, behind Tidus and Wakka of course."

I grinned and made a face. "Gee, thanks."

Someone's backpack slammed into my shoulder, and I looked up quickly and harshly, prepared to fight whoever dared mess with Riku Tarada. But then I saw that it was in fact Roxas, who looked almost as if he didn't mean to hit me at all. He was stuffing three wads of Stride gum in his mouth at the same time and, I may be mistaken but…

I think I saw a few stray tears in his eyes.

I blinked. Was that even possible? Demons could cry?

But I was distracted out of this theory when a soft _thump!_ hit the table. I looked up to see Namine, the girl I had met earlier, staring down at her brown paper bag lunch box with a guilty expression on her face. I furrowed my brow again. _Who_ was she reminding me of?

"Nami, what's the matter? Is it Axel again? Is he spending too much time with Roxas again?" Selphie guessed, rubbing Namine's back sympathetically. Huh? I narrowed my eyes at her. Something wasn't right about the little blonde.

Just then however, Axel came into the cafeteria, holding his cheek with his hand and looking more than a little pissed off.

"That little bitch…" He mumbled as he sat down. He scowled at me.

"Remember what I told you about loving Roxas? It isn't written in stone, just remember that." He hissed. I grinned at him. It was high time that someone besides me felt the blunt of Roxas' wrath.

"Did you get the fist?" I asked happily. Axel growled and removed his hand from where it was on his cheek. A red imprint shone angrily. Selphie, Namine and I all simultaneously winced.

"No. I got the hand. And trust me, not in a good way." Axel growled out. He tossed me his Subway sandwich. "Oddly, I'm not hungry anymore."

We all laughed, but there was something nagging me in the back of my head. My Sora senses were tingling.

And that's when it happened.

Kairi screamed and everyone at Sora's table jumped out of their seats.

It was almost like slow motion as I watched Sora's thin, lithe frame begin to fall onto the hard, quite dangerous looking ground. My heart clenched painfully. I couldn't have that, now could I?

I sped to Sora, and slid on my knees, managing to catch Sora right before he hit the ground. I gazed down at him. His eyes were open and unseeing, and his body was still. He wasn't breathing.

No, no, no, no! But Sora's hyperventilation had been cured! Did I…could I have…

Made it worse?

"Kiwi! Kiwi, please, breathe with me. For me. Please breathe for me!" I begged him quietly, into his ear so he could hear me. I think my own heart started to slow to dangerously slow rates as I waited for his body to register my request.

But finally, my Kiwi breathed.

"R-Riku…?" He croaked out. I smiled, breathing out a sigh of relief.

"Yes…It's me, Kiwi. I'm here." I whispered into his hair.

"I…I…"

Sora fainted.

_**The Nurse's Office**_

"I'm really sorry about this, Aerith. I had no clue that Riku here," Cloud leveled his cool, slightly annoyed steel blue eyes at me, "would be such a problem."

Aerith laughed and hopped up from where she was perched on the stretcher across from me. She ruffled Cloud's hair affectionately.

"Aw, don't worry about it. It wasn't so long ago when you were making my husband faint with your quiet intensity." Aerith giggled. "Besides…at least I got a free stretcher out of it!"

I groaned. This was torture! Why did my "parent guardian" have to know all of my new teachers?! Especially my attractive school nurse! I mean, what the hell? They _dated? _They're now_ best friends?_

"Don't remind me! And what do you mean 'quiet intensity?' Don't kids call that 'emo' now a days?" Cloud said, and he and Aerith both laughed like it was the funniest thing in world, to make fun of teenagers…

"Okay, let's go." I interrupted, running a hand through my hair. I wanted to see Sora before everyone else did. That way I could really talk to him.

"Oh, pipe down Riku. Sora's going to be released in a couple of hours, and then he's going straight to his lung therapist. You have some time to kill before you can see him anyway." Aerith reasoned, handing me a lollipop. "Here, have a sucker."

I made a face. How this woman was Cloud's best friend was beyond me.

"Well, I suppose Riku's right. Leon's waiting for us in his car, and I still have to sign Riku out." Cloud finally sighed. Aerith giggled in her hand.

"Ooh, you brought the infamous Leon along. Just when do I get to met him Cloud Strife?" Aerith wanted to know, resting her hands on her hips. Cloud blushed prettily and fiddled embarrassedly with the earring in his left ear.

"It's not like that. Leon's a successful, rich, strong-"

"-Gay-"

Cloud glared at my interruption. "I was going to say _brave_, businessman. He's the freaking president of Fantasy Records, _the_ Fantasy Records. What does he need with a guy like me?"

"Exactly! No one just randomly decides to hang out with someone they meet at a strip club!" I exclaimed, glancing down at my watch. Time was ticking!

Cloud blushed deeper as Aerith stared at him, wide eyed and open mouthed.

"Cloud Strife! I thought you said you were done with that after you left _him_." Aerith cried, still looking shocked. Cloud shrugged sheepishly.

"I'm sorry?"

"Get out!"

_**Leon's expensive limo**_

"God Riku! You promised you wouldn't be a hassle! Now look! You've made Leon miss his important business dude meeting-" Cloud began cutting into me the second we stepped into Leon's limo.

Leon smirked at Cloud's vocabulary but otherwise remained emotionless.

"-You made Aerith angry at me for something she doesn't even understand, _and, _you managed to alienate all of your friends. Well, the sane ones anyway. Do you know what that means Riku? That means you destroyed my friendships, your friendships, and Leon's companion…ships."

Cloud added a glare to the end of his tirade. "You're a ship destroyer, Riku!"

Leon actually began to laugh! Cloud and I stared at him. We didn't know that rocks could laugh. Because that's Leon's equivalent. A rock.

I feel almost as if it's my duty to describe Leon. Squall Leonhart, or Leon if you're his friend, is the president of Fantasy Records, the top music industry in the world. He had to work himself up to the top, and we all know that the only way to make it to the top, is to step and use the people on the bottom. He became cold, and indifferent…and pretty much…a rock.

Then one evening, his best friend dragged him to a strip club for his birthday. That's where he met Cloud.

Don't ask why Cloud was there. That's an entirely different story.

Now, for some strange reason that neither me nor Cloud can fathom, Leon won't go a day without summoning Cloud. That's not to say that I think he isn't worthy of the sexy businessman's attention, it's just that I find it oddly…suspicious.

"Where to next, Strife?" Leon chuckled, wiping a tear from his stormy grey eyes. Cloud flushed slightly upon the fact that he made the man laugh, but shook it off when he noticed my growingly pissed off glance.

I.Wanted.Sora.

"Uh…um, I guess the hospital." Cloud cleared his throat and looked away from Leon's intense gaze. "To, see…uh, Sorbet."

"Sora!" I corrected him harshly. Cloud waved his hand dismissively. I turned to look out the window, watching the trees go by. I remember when I was younger, Sora and I would try to climb up those trees. We would go out as far as we were allowed to go to the high school, and then, in order to impress the older boys, we would race to the tops.

But of course, I would always win.

And that's what I held on to as we drove towards the hospital.

* * *

**Yay! Cloud and Leon were introduced! Sort of! Lol, yeah, actually I had originally planned to make this a jumbo chapter, but around the part where they're in the limo, I begun to lose focus. So I stopped for now. But this is still pretty long, guys!**

**Reviews are adored and greatly appreciated!**


	5. The Hospital

**Annnnnd I'm back! Sorry it took so long, I have been editing like crazy! And I didn't have my computer for about a week because I went to see my family for Thansgiving. But the wait is over! Here is part two! **

**Reviewers:**

**SuperFriendlySoraFan203: Thank you...! Yeah, I wish I had Riku to visit me in the hospital...(sigh)**

**Kira Sakura: Hehe, cliff hangers keep you guys reading and you know it! And I love Cloud and Leon's escapades too, although you'll learn more about that next chapter.**

**random-laughter: Here's the update!**

**Tysonkaiexperiment: Lol, Sorbet. You'll learn soon! Soon as in next chapter maybe...**

**Colonel Roxas-chan: I feel bad for him too (cough, lol, no, jk)**

**Shia Ghost: Why does everyone hate Namine?!? She's sweet, and everything...okay, who am I kidding, in this particular story I'm not liking her much either. But hey, she has her reasons! Hopefully everyone's opinion of her will change as you learn more about her later on in the story.**

**Clash of the Titans pt. 2**

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* * *

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**Enter Sora:**

"_Riku! What are you doing here? It's past our bedtimes!" __A five year old Sora exclaimed, pointing to the digital clock on the mahogany desk next to his bed. It read midnight. Riku had just entered his room via his open window, and he knew that if his mother was to find out that they were up past eight, again, they would be grounded for life._

_A six__ year old Riku simply scoffed and covered Sora's mouth with his hand. "Then we should probably be quiet." Riku whispered._

_Sora smiled excitedly and nodded. "Okay!" He whispered back._

_Riku pulled his hand away and instead placed it on top of Sora's, which was resting delicately on his knee. Sora's cheeks lightly flushed pink, but Riku either didn't notice it or was more focused onto the reason he came in the first place._

_It appeared to be the latter._

"_So__, Kiwi, the reason I came was because I just happened to overhear my mother talking to some strange lady about 'planning to move in' or something." Riku announced in a hushed tone. Sora blinked. And then he blinked again._

"_You're saying that there's gonna be an inauguration?" He asked innocently. Riku stared at him for a long moment and shook his head slowly._

"_Noooo, Kiwi, I'm saying that means there's gonna be a new kid. An inauguration is when a president moves into office and stuff."_

_Sora's ear__s perked up at the thought of a new friend. He loved meeting new people, and if the amount of friends he did in fact have wasn't an indicator, people loved him too. Riku however, had a different expression on his face, although it was quite similar to the eager one that Sora wore._

"_I know what you're thinking. Fresh meat. But we'll have to be sly about it. I think I heard that his name is Roxas or something. It's actually a pretty cute name if you think about it…" As Riku went on about the obscure details of the new kid, Sora couldn't help but feel an impending doom. _

_Riku only prattled on about things he was faithfully interested in, and it seemed that this new Roxas kid was one of them. A small but sure pout began to form its way on Sora's face, and he slowly began to move his hand out from under Riku's._

_Of course, Riku, being the long time best friend, noticed this immediately._

_"Kiwi! What's the matter?" Riku cried, looking a little exasperated. Sora was the cheeriest thing he'd ever encountered, but oddly and frequently Sora would get randomly upset about something. It was strangely frustrating._

_"You keep going on and on about the new kid and his big inauguration…" Sora trailed off, embarrassed by his envious thoughts. It was just...Riku had a major short in his attention span, but being his best friend, Sora was entitled to most of it. He never took it well when Riku's attention was being taken by someone else._

_"Aw, Kiwi, are you jealous?" Riku teased cockily. He tapped Sora under the chin._

_Sora blushed. "Am not!" But even as he said it, he was looking down at his lap. Riku's eyes softened and he gently took Sora into his arms, petting his wild spikes down to comfort him._

_"Look Kiwi. We may be little kids and everything, but…believe me when I tell you that…well, you're my best friend. No matter who enters my life, we'll always be together." Riku whispered. Sora sniffed and snuggled closer into the embrace._

_"Promise?"_

_"Promise."_

**Room 666**

My eyes fluttered slightly as the last few remnants of my dream entered my mind. A light shined through the open window of my hospital room as the calm quiet allowed me to think about what my subconscious was trying to tell me.

It was another dream about Riku. Just like every other dream I'd had. Except…this time it was a memory. It had actually happened. And it was so vivid that I had felt almost as if I were there.

Again.

I sat up and took note of my surroundings. I was sitting in a hospital bed, clothed in those ugly half buttoned shirt things with an IV stuck to my arm. I groaned. Crap. I was stuck in an IV for fainting….who does that?!

It would be me, I figured with a sigh, who ends up in a hospital for forgetting to breathe. What was my mother going to say when she figured out that I was having wheezing fits again?

**_"_Felicia, would you please calm down? Sora's going to need some peace and quiet!"**

**"The only thing Sora's going to need is an inhaler and a firm kick to that chiseled little hinny of his! That receptionist had the nerve to tell me that I needed to cut my son a little slack. Of course I am, but I don't need her to tell me that!"**

**"Please, sweetheart, Sora might be sleeping! He needs rest!"**

**"-And what kind of room number is 666?! That's the number of Hades' himself! Do they want evil spirits haunting their sick and needy? Those ghosts better not touch my baby, or else-"**

**"Oh, look, we're almost there."**

I could hear my mother and father's bickering from where they were down the hall. I groaned and slid back beneath the covers. This was not going to be a happy reunion, I could feel it.

Suddenly the door burst open, causing me to fall completely out of bed and onto the ground face first. I scowled. Fabulous, Klutz.

Mom frowned at me, looking appalled.

"Sora Kaci Hikaru! What, on Heaven's Earth, are you doing on that hospital floor?! All sorts of bacteria could be on there! You know, people do bleed on that ground, and the amoebas from the-"

Dad rolled his eyes. "The janitors clean the floors, Felicia."

Mom scowled at him, mirroring my current expression, and let out a puff of air. "Thanks for that, Nick. It's really nice being corrected like that."

I sighed, and gazed up at them. Neither of them looked all that concerned that their son was in the hospital. Correction-the hospital floor.

Mom, or Felicia Beth Hikaru, was dressed in a long tan trench coat that covered up her tight v-necked, knee length ruby dress with a pair of red high heeled stilettos. Her hair was in the same style it always was: unmanageable, ridiculously springy, sparkling blond curls. Her blue eyes, exactly the same electric azure color as mine, twinkled mischievously. She must have been on her way home from work as a morning talk show host and on her way to the most important part of it- a fancy restaurant food critic.

Dad, or Sunny Nicholas Leonhart (You see why we took Mom's last name), on the other hand, was dressed in a pair of paint splattered jeans and a huge, oversized white T-Shirt. His hair, sticking straight up in vertical spikes, was a light brown color, and his eyes, a clear crystal gray, were rolled vertically up into the ceiling.

Now you know where I got my dashing good looks from.

"Sora, son, what exactly did you do that caused you to faint?" Dad asked, folding his arms sternly. I rolled my eyes on the inside. Dad said that if I stressed out too much anymore this year, he would ground me. And I guess I can understand where he's coming from. Before the therapy, my hyperventilation had gotten to the point where I almost began to get heart attacks, and not just any heart attacks, but the high risk ones. Dad freaks out at the thought of it, so….

Groundage. Of the ultimate measure.

I coughed slightly and tilted my head into my hand, propping up in what I hoped was a casual pose. "Why, what ever do you mean?" I asked innocently.

Dad narrowed his eyes at me and gave me a disbelieving look.

"Sora-" He began until the doors burst open again. The smell of rain water and papou fruit entered the air, followed by the smell of juniper and daisies, and a smell similar to the one my dad smells like, which is musk and Old Spice.

I peered upwards. Riku, in all his brilliance, stood confidently before me, gazing down at me with an odd look on his face. All I could do was try to breathe and hope that my heart didn't give out on me.

Behind him stood Cloud, and a guy I had never seen before, both staring at me with their eyebrows raised.

"Sora," Cloud began in his soft, emotional voice. "Why are you on the hospital floor? Isn't it, I don't know, unsanitary?"

Mom threw her hands in the air. "At least someone agrees with me!"

"The janitors clean the floors." My dad and the stranger both deadpanned at the same time. Dad looked over at the guy with a stiff look on his face.

"Squall." He allowed, his eyes twitching. That's when I noticed it. The brown coloring. The clear grey eyes. A scar going down the face, although Dad's was from his cheek to down his neck, and the stranger's ran from his left eye down to the opposite side of his face. It was so obvious now.

This stranger was somehow related to Dad.

"Sunny." The guy replied back. Riku, Cloud and Mom were all watching their stiff exchange with interest. I took this chance to finally get up off the floor and back into bed. My head was killing me. I snuggled deep into the covers, ready to succumb to sweet sleep.

Just as my eyes closed, the covers went flying into the air, and suddenly Riku's face was mere inches away from mine. His green eyes were flashing- he was not happy.

"Kiwi…what happened to 'being cured'?" Riku asked slowly. I winced. His voice was vicious and it cut through the air. What was he so upset about? My hyperventilation came out of remission, so what?

"Well...things change." I replied testily, a hidden connotation in my voice. Now it was Riku's turn to wince. Those were the exact same words that were sent to me in that faithful text message from him.

Riku let out a short breath before chewing on his thumbnail. Hmm…that was his nervous habit. But why would he be nervous around me?

"Look…" Riku paused, before blurting, "Can we talk?"

I glared at him. I didn't want to talk to him. I'd been avoiding him all day…didn't that give him a hint to what I was feeling right now?

But Riku didn't back down. He was gazing at me intently, willing me to say yes with those now aquamarine eyes of his. I turned my face away. No. I wouldn't do it. I refused.

"Come on Kiwi…what have you got to lose?" He pointed out softly.

Um, how about my will to breathe?

But he was right. He'd already taken so much away from me, what more could he claim? I literally had nothing to lose, except my sanity, and Kairi had been telling me since the day we first met that that was already gone.

And what good was it to avoid him the rest of my life? Riku, in some ways, was like Axel. He loved challenges, and most importantly, he loved the art of persuasion. Both would do anything to get someone to agree with them. It was better to throw in the towel now then have to suffer later, and much, much worse.

"Fine." I muttered dejectedly. "But not here, not while everyone can hear us."

Riku and I looked up at the adults in the room. Cloud was talking quietly to Mom, but the stranger and Dad seemed to be arguing telepathically. Neither was saying a word, but their eyes and their expressions seemed to be communicating with each other. It was amazing to watch.

Finally, Dad seemed to feel Riku and me staring at them, and he turned to us with unreadable look on his face. The stranger's expression mirrored it.

"Oh…Riku…sorry, I didn't quite see you there. How are you doing, buddy? Still throwing the old pigskin around?" Dad finally said, the expression clearing away with a goofy smile quite similar to my own. Riku chuckled.

"No, Mr. H, I'm done with that. But I'm doing alright. Um…" Riku stopped as he looked from the stranger to Dad. "You know Leon, right?"

Dad gazed at us wearily. "Yes, I think I know…Leon." When he said 'Leon', he scrunched up his face, like the name put a bad taste into his mouth.

Cloud suddenly seemed interested. "Really? How do you know Leon, Nick?"

Dad was silent for a moment. He seemed to be contemplated what he should say. His eyes locked onto mine for a second, and I could have sworn he was trying to tell me something in that look. Unfortunately, unlike the stranger, I couldn't understand telepathy.

"Sora, did you say hello to Cloud?" Dad changed the subject after a moment's silence. "Smooth…" Riku whispered under his breath.

And then, because I really hadn't until this moment, I noticed Cloud. I hadn't seen Cloud since those three years ago, and I hadn't realized how much I missed my godfather.

"Cloud!" I exclaimed, running to him and throwing my arms around his waist. Cloud seemed shocked, at the very least, but then he just laughed that rare laugh that only Riku and I seemed to get out of him, and hugged me back.

"Good to see you too, Sora, but that doesn't change the fact that your father changed the subject." Cloud announced. Dad was silent, and as the seconds ticked by, Cloud began to become more and more impatient, but he didn't let me go.

"God dammit, Sunny, tell me what's going on!" Cloud shouted into the quiet room. Riku and I both jumped, but we both tried to play it off as if we weren't fazed by the tension. But Mom wasn't fooled.

"Alright, all adults outside. Now." She announced. Riku and I both groaned good-naturedly as the adults all filed out of the room. Truth be told, I was kind of glad. There were just some things that, as a teenager, I shouldn't know yet. As soon as the last person was gone and the door was closed, Riku pounced.

He pushed me back onto the bed so I was on my back and straddled me, pinning my arms above my head so I couldn't escape. Against my will, a blush spread across my cheeks. I resisted the urge to squeeze my eyes shut in embarrassment.

"R-Riku…" I stammered like an idiot instead. Riku smirked and ran his eyes up and down my body.

"Just like old times, huh?" He laughed. My cheeks flared suddenly with anger and my eyes began to water. I was infuriated. How dare he say that to me?

_Sora, now ten, closed his eyes against the light breeze. He was lying in the sand fairly close to the water, letting it graze his toes. Evening was right on the horizon and Sora came down there every day just to watch the sunset._

_Not today though. Today he just felt like screaming. He just found out that Riku and Roxas, his two best friends, had been secretly dating behind his back- for six months. At the very least, he was hurt that they hadn't told him. But now that he thought about it, he realized that the thing that probably hurt the most was the feeling of being left behind._

"_Hey." A soft voice laughed hesitantly from behind him. "You ran away so suddenly- I was worried."_

_Sora scowled but opened his eyes and narrowed them. The voice belonged to none other than Riku, the traitor himself. He didn't want to talk to Riku. Not anymore._

"_Go away. Don't you have a Roxas to be with?" Sora snapped, sitting up. Riku sighed gently and stepped away from him. Sora's heart clenched painfully but he was glad Riku was giving him some time alone. He needed to think._

_The next thing he knew, he was flat on his back under Riku with his arms pinned above his head and his face just inches from Riku's._

"_Riku!" Sora exclaimed, his blue eyes widening. Riku's eyes in turn narrowed._

"_You are not allowed to not forgive me. You're too damn important to me, Sora!" _

"_Oh, but I wasn't important enough for you to tell me you had feelings for Roxas!" Sora shouted back, ignoring the sudden dryness of his throat. He tried to concentrate on his breathing but Riku was far too close._

"_I didn't want to upset you! Look…you've been there for me my whole life. I need you. I need you now more than anything. Please Sora. I'm not asking you to stop being angry. I just want you to be my best friend." Riku pleaded. He crinkled his nose, confused, at Sora's sudden wince but otherwise ignored it. He could see he was wearing Sora down. _

"_You're special to me, Kiwi. You have a spot in my heart that no one can replace, not even Roxas. No matter who comes into my life…you will always be number one." Riku whispered. He placed a tender, affectionate kiss on Sora's cheek and watched the blush that followed it. Riku was far used to Sora's blushes. He figured it was simply because the younger boy was so freaking innocent._

_Sora looked away. "I-I…ugh. FINE! Fine…" He turned back to Riku with a sheepish smile. "I forgive you."_

_Riku released Sora from his grasp and they both embraced._

Still…the past was the past. That moment was nothing like the one happening now.

"You FUCKING JERK!" I screamed, trashing around to get out of his grasp. Riku looked confused and a little shocked.

"Kiwi-" He started but I silenced him by biting his lip as hard as I could. I could see him trying to play it off as if it didn't hurt, but by the way his eyes were welling up I could tell it caused some pain. Needless to say I got my point across.

"You listen and you listen good! I gave you the best years of my life, and you destroyed it in one night! Not to mention the other thing I gave to you that night too. And what happens? You chicken out and leave for three years! You said we were in it together, and you leave me to repair all your fucking damage." I think I was crying, but I couldn't be sure. By Riku's distressed face, I'm sure I was. But I wasn't finished.

"I don't know why you came back," I sighed in a frustrated manner, "but frankly, I don't care." Lie. "If you came to get some kind of forgiveness, you came in vain." Another lie, deep down I'd already forgiven him. "If you want my friendship again, you'll have to earn it."

I froze. Riku loved challenges, and my last comment was just begging him to fight for it. Damn it….I should have stopped while I was ahead.

"Alright, Sora…I understand. If I were you, I would feel the exact same way. But…" Riku paused and grinned slyly at me in a way that made my knees turn to jelly. Honestly, if I wasn't lying down I literally would have fallen to the floor.

"…I will earn your friendship again." Riku got off of me and stood, stretching his muscular arms into the ceiling. Then his eyes sharpened and focused onto mine. "And more."

My mouth dropped open but he was gone before I could sputter out anything else.

Curses.

I must have fallen asleep a little after Riku left, because when I woke up I realized I was alone. Instead there was a note, post-it to be exact, stuck on my forehead. With a sigh, I snatched it off and scanned it. It read:

Sora, honey, this is your dad. Just saying we went to get some food for you. I'm sure you don't want that nasty, artificial junk. Or, maybe you do. But that's besides the point, because the point is, we're getting you some real food. Burger King. We'll meet you back at the house to take you to lung therapy.

We love you!

P.S. Have it your way.

I rolled my eyes. Dad was so lame. But that didn't matter. All that mattered at the moment was that I absolutely, positively hated lung therapy. It was basically regular therapy, only around the end the session the lady made me take off my shirt and examined my lung and respiration rates.

Speaking of which, where was the doctor? I hadn't learned why I was even here yet, and seeing how my parents, Cloud, Leon and Riku already left, I had no one to ask. I pouted. This sucked.

Suddenly the door opened, and a beautiful woman walked in. She wore the standard nurses' uniform, including the white hat with a red cross on it, and white flats. Her mid-length jet black hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and her dark eyes were shining. To put it simply, she was beautiful.

"Hello, Sora! I'm Tifa, and I'll be your nurse and dispatcher today. I just thought you would like to know what you're in here for, seeing how your dad, as scatter-brained as he is, didn't tell you after I told him. But that's Sunny for you." Tifa laughed.

I blinked. Then I blinked again. She knew my dad? Who else did my dad know?

"Uh…how do you know my dad?" I asked curiously, scratching the back of my head. Tifa paused for a second, and then scrunched up her face as if she were upset.

"You mean he hasn't mentioned me at all? And here I thought I meant something to him! But he hasn't even told his own son about me!" Tifa exclaimed, throwing down the clipboard. "Fuck him!"

I coughed slightly. When could I get out of here? I changed my mind, I really didn't want to know how she knew dad. I just wanted to be back in my own clothes with my own people. Tifa sighed heavily and rubbed her temples.

"Sorry about that, Sora. I have a bit of a temper sometimes, but I wasn't necessarily blaming you. I like you. It's your father however…! Well, anyway I am obligated to tell you that you had a stress attack that evolved to the early stages of a heart attack, and we wanted to run some tests on you before you were released. You need to come back Friday after school to get the results."

I smiled for what seemed like the first time in days. I was free!

"Here are you clothes. I'll leave you to change, and then you can just go." Tifa paused in the doorway and smiled at me, "We will meet again, Sora."

My eyes shifted from the wall next to me to her and my eyebrows raised a little bit. "Uh…okay?"

Tifa gave me a thumbs up sign and left me to change in peace. I sighed; the day still wasn't over yet.

_Not too long after Sora discovered that Roxas and Riku were dating, he was invited to Roxas' birthday party. He was turning ten, the same age as Sora. He'd heard that almost everyone on the island wanted to attend the party, but only a selected few were given invitations. Sora was happy as anything that he got one._

_Everyone liked Roxas, including Sora. He was just so silly all the time, it was hard not to. In some ways, Sora was reminded of himself in Roxas, only Sora liked to think that he had the ability to follow his heart whereas Roxas was more of a thinker. Besides, Roxas was mad smart. He, on the other hand, was mad…lazy._

_Riku went over to Roxas' house early to help him decorate, so it was up to Sora to get the gifts. Riku had already told Sora what he was going to give Roxas, a yin-yang necklace on a pretty silver chain, and after giving Sora the money, asked him to pick it up._

_Sora didn't have a damn clue what he was getting his playful second best friend._

_After going into the jeweler's and buying Riku's gift, (forty-five dollars! Where the hell did he get that from, his allowance?!) he wandered aimlessly through the shops on the boardwalk, thinking._

_Sora wasn't going to deny it anymore: he was in love with Riku. It wasn't even a crush, either; it was hard, depressing, horrible love. He sighed. He loved Riku so much that he was letting him be with Roxas, seeing how it made him happy. Still…wasn't Riku happy with Sora? Why didn't he love him back? What did Roxas have that he didn't?_

_He was contemplating giving Roxas something evil for his birthday, like a skunk in a box or something. But now that he thought about it, it really wasn't Roxas' fault. If anything, Sora should be feeling sorry for him, seeing how he was in love with a big jerk. Sure, a lovable, sweet, protecting one, but still a jerk._

_Sora's eyes rested on the Kodak store and his heart sped up. He suddenly knew the perfect gift!_

_An hour later, Sora stood on the doorstep to Roxas' house. He was so excited! He had been to Roxas' house before, but he had never met his parents, so when a bickering couple answered the door, he felt a little uneasy. A colonel stood in front of him in his uniform, standing next to a pretty woman with short blond hair. They both stopped at the sight of him._

_Sora shrugged off his surprise and replaced it with a friendly smile. "Hi!"_

_Immediately the couple turned to each other and smiled. "Sora." They both realized at the same time. Sora laughed._

"_How did you know?" He wanted to know, pouting teasingly. The lady laughed._

"_Roxas told us that if a bubbly brunet smiled at us and greeted us warmly, his name was Sora and we should call for him immediately." She confessed. The colonel smirked and called out for Roxas._

"_Roxas, Sora's here!" He shouted. Almost instantly two pairs of footsteps came racing up the stairs from the basement, and a blond head popped up. "Sora! Sora's here!" He exclaimed. He tackled him in a bear hug and wrapped his legs around Sora's torso. Both of them laughed._

_Riku pulled Roxas off of him and replaced him with himself. "Hey Sora! Did you get the goods?" He whispered in his ear. Sora willed himself not to blush in front of Roxas' and his parents._

"_Yeah, I got the stuff." He answered. Riku winked at him and the three boys retreated to the basement, where the party was in full swing._

* * *

**Okay, so I know this chapter might be kind of confusing, so I'm going to clear things up.**

**A) Sora and Riku knew each other way before they knew Roxas.**

**B) Riku and Roxas were secretly dating behind Sora's back, until something happened that made Sora find out.**

**C) Leon and Sora's dad are related somehow.**

**D) Sora has a weak heart, and had a heart attack once. He used to have stress attacks regularly.**

**and E) The gift that Sora gave Roxas for his tenth birthday has great significance. Can you guess what it was?**

**I'm seriously not a big fan of this chapter. I feel like for a part two, I could have done better, you know? But anyway, there will be one more part to this, and then the first part of this story will be complete!**

**Reviews really do inspire me. Oh, and if anyone has any predictions or questions they want answered, I would love to hear them! I love reviews of all kinds, and they make me feel like I'm not the only one reading this.**

**-BB**


	6. The Hospital, The Truth, and The Plan

**Hey, I'm baaaack! How was everyone's holidays? I got a new laptop for Christmas, and it's amazing! But windows vista is a little hard to get used to, especially with the microsoft word. But anyway...**

**Just a forewarning, this chapter is fairly long. Well, I suppose not all THAT long, but compared to chapters in the past, yeah, kind of long. You might want to fish out those holiday left-overs and pour yourself a glass of cold milk (ew, I don't really like milk) before reading.**

**If you haven't noticed, I was doing a little revamping on this break. This is no longer a part three, but an individual chapter, as is the last two. And please keep in mind that this beginning sequence is what happened in the hospital in Riku's POV, so if things sound familiar or something...you know why.**

**Reviewers:**

**Mentally Insane Fangirl: (He's kind of always wanted Sora, but that's all I'm going to say on it. All will be revealed...later.)**

**Kira Sakura: (Don't hurt my Rocky! Yeah, but the chapter felt necessary, you know? Hope this one is better!)**

**Random-Laughter: (I couldn't tell you what it was, I can't pin point it myself. I thought about maybe revamping that whole chapter, because I wasn't sure if _I _liked it, but I decided against it. It had a lot of necessary things in it. But yeah, hope you like this one!)**

**SuperFriendlySoraFan203: (Yeah, hospitals really are. My mom was in one once for a while, and every time I went in there I got kind of creeped out. **)

**pichu10176: (This chapter hopefully explains a lot more about it. And no, it's not healthy.)**

**00-angel: (Namine will be addressed next chapter, so keep reading! But you are on to something there...)**

**Sorry this little author's note was so damn long! Read on!

* * *

Enter Riku:**

There is something very, VERY wrong about _my _kiwi lying on a hospital floor.

To start with, I was already pissed off by the time I got to his room- his room number was 666, what the _hell_ is wrong with these hospitals?- due to the fact that the freaking receptionist had no record of a "Sora Hikaru" even being in the hospital.

"We have a K-L-U-T-Z Hikaru here, sir, but there is no record of a-" Sheila, as her name tag indicated, snapped at us, giving Cloud and I the evil eye. But Leon interrupted her mid snap by slamming down a fist on the counter. We all jumped in surprise. Jeez, Leon was like freaking Thor.

"What kind of hospital uses nicknames to record their patients? I think the DA would love to hear about a hospital who doesn't keep their shit in check." Leon mulled, glaring deep into her eyes. Sheila's, however, flitted across the waiting room in a panicked frenzy. Finally, she shakily typed something in the computer and gave us "Klutz's" room number.

Why would this piss me off? Because had the freaking hospital not had his last name on file, I would have never guessed that his nickname was Klutz. Then we would have gone to another hospital on the island, which, hey, there is none, and Sora would think that I didn't come back for him or something stupid like that, and my plan to win him back would never succeed!

Huh? What's that? You want to know what my plan is?

Well…I don't exactly have one yet, but I'm sure I'll figure it out once I see Sora and_ really_ talk to him. Which brings us back to why I was pissed off at the hospital. I _need _to talk to him!

"Wow, Leon, you're so intimidating." Cloud practically cooed as we walked down the hall to "klutz's" room. I rolled my eyes. Could Cloud get any more obvious?

"Yeah, well…it takes practice." Leon answered with a grunt, causing Cloud to sigh in awe. Alright, that was it. I just could not stand to watch Cloud try to flirt with this man anymore. Cloud was supposed to be my quiet, intense custodian, not some horny school girl!

"Leon, the DA wouldn't bust a hospital, a _sanctuary _basically, because someone gave them the wrong name." I pointed out with a scoff. Leon was so full of shit sometimes.

"Maybe not, but sometimes a little lie is all it takes to get on top." Leon answered stonily, sparing me an uninterested glance.

"On top of who, Leon? Cloud?" I snorted, earning a scandalized growl from Cloud, and a bemused look from the rock over there to my right. Whatever. The only face I wanted to see at the moment was Sora's. He was all that mattered at this point.

We finally reached the room after passing by some nutty looking people, and I forced myself not to let out a frustrated cry when I noticed that his parents were in the room. Great. Just Great. How the hell was I going to talk to Sora now?

So now, we're back to me, being pissed off, staring at Sora in an odd mix of anger, annoyance, joy and confusion while he stared back up at me from the ground looking like a lost little puppy.

I will say it again: something is very, VERY wrong about my kiwi lying on a hospital floor.

Cloud was the first to speak. "Uh, Sora? Why are you on the hospital floor? Isn't it, I don't know, unsanitary?"

Well, yes, it wasn't sanitary, but the janitors clean the floors after every patient. This was a fact that has passed Cloud by, however, and apparently Sora's mom as well.

"At least someone agrees with me!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. I smiled. Aw…Sora's mom acted just like Sora! You know, I've always liked Felicia, simply because unlike my mother, she is an honest and true person, just like Sora.

I guess that's why I always feel so relaxed and happy when I'm around the Hikaru's. They just have everything that, well, that I don't.

"The janitors clean the floors." Leon and Sora's dad both answered at the same time. I turned to the stoic rock. Did they know each other?

"Squall." Sunny Hikaru said stiffly, turning away from him. Apparently they did. This actually interested me immensely. I don't believe in coincidences, but somehow the fact that Leon and Sora's dad knew each other, and then that Cloud knew both, qualified as a big one. But I didn't have time to observe them closer. I heard a quiet rustling from the ground.

The kiwi is on the move, I repeat, the kiwi is on the move! I watched as Sora got up from the ground silently, almost as if he didn't want _someone_ (I wonder who) to know he was moving, and snuggled back into the dingy looking hospital bed with a cute little sigh.

What the-? I _know_ Sora doesn't think he can just fall asleep and not acknowledge my presence. It was time for Agent Kuey to do what he came here to do!

And another thing. Why was he even here? I mean, I know why he's _here_, but why did he have that little attack now? The week before I left, he, Roxas, and I had gone to his lung therapy session together, because we wanted to check on his progress. As it turned out, he hadn't hyperventilated in three months. It had been decided that Sora's hyperventilation syndrome had not only gone into remission, but had oddly vanished.

We ended up having a party to celebrate. Sure, he still had asthma, and I'm sure he always will. But just the fact that his fighting paid off and one stage of his heart problems were erased had made Roxas and me so happy that we just had to open the chardonnay!

So now, it's the present, and Sora has it again? That was a fact that pissed me off. And I was trying really hard not to take it out on Sora. It's a problem, you see. I have a problem with keeping my emotions in check.

"Kiwi…what the hell happened to 'being cured'?" I asked him slowly, trying with all of my might to keep the bite from my voice. Unfortunately, by the wince Sora just gave me, I don't think its working.

"Well…things change." He snapped. Ouch. Boy was he mad at me! Those were the same words that I told him when I had my grandmother send him that text message. Cruel, I know, but what do you expect?! I was a fourteen year old boy who had just realized he was in love! I was freaking out!

But of course, Sora would never understand that. It's physically impossible to convince Kiwi anything once he gets an idea in his head. I'll just have to prove it. But how?

I let out a short, frustrated breath. This wasn't working. I didn't actually expect Sora to still be ripe and bitter about all of this. I chewed on a thumbnail; I needed a sign.

"Look," I paused, before blurting, "Can we talk?"

Oh, real smooth Riku.

Sora glared at me. I take that as a no. But I was not going to give up so easily! I was going to have a real talk with Sora, dammit, even if it killed me!

"Come on, Sora…what have you got to lose?" I said softly. Sora wrinkled his nose at me before looking down at his hands. I think he was considering it!

"Fine, but not here, not while everyone can see us." Sora finally gave in, looking like he had just lost a war. Honestly, I had forgotten all about the adults. Sora and I both looked up at the same time.

Cloud was quietly gushing to Felicia about Leon, don't think I missed that, but the interesting thing was the exchange of body language between Leon and Sunny, Sora's dad.

I like to observe people. Call it some crazy alternate trait due to my hate for being the center of attention, but I like to watch other people interact. This explains why I was able to understand what Leon and Sunny were saying, whereas Sora just had this blank look on his cute little face.

Sunny: What are you doing here?

Leon: I came with Cloud.

Sunny: Well, stay away from him. He's not like you, he's a guardian.

Leon: It's too late, brother.

Sunny: If you care for him, then-

Sunny and Leon both felt our stares, and turned to us wearily. I think Sunny could feel my confusion, and the sudden race of my heart. Brothers? Guardian?

"Oh…Riku…sorry, I didn't quite see you there. How are you doing, buddy? Still throwing the old pigskin around?" Sora's dad asked cheerfully, acting as if he hadn't just been telepathically talking to Leon about Cloud. But fine. I would play along.

For now.

I chuckled. "No, Mr. H, I'm done with that." Jeez, Sunny, you can do better that. I haven't played football since I was seven. "But I'm doing alright."

I felt a need to clear the air. Sora was still looking quite confused and I didn't want to give away Sunny and Leon's secret while he was in here, and especially not while Cloud was watching. It was just not my style.

"Um…you know Leon, right?"

Sora's dad shuddered slightly. "Yes, I think I know…Leon." His nose, similar to Sora's, scrunched up in distaste. Obviously he didn't like Leon's name.

Cloud, ever the curious, piped in. "Really? How do you know Leon, Nick?"

Nick was the nickname given to Sunny, apparently. His full name is Sunny Nicholas Leonhart, but he took on Felicia's last name when they married. Personally, I'm glad. Sora Leonhart just sounds plain creepy.

Mr. H's eyes locked with Sora's, and I could see him trying to tell Sora that he was sorry, that he never wanted it to happen this way. But really. Come on now. We all know how naïve and innocent that Sora is deep inside. As if Sora would be able to understand all that in one glance.

"Sora, did you say hello to Cloud?" Sunny said abruptly. I couldn't help but whisper, "Smooth."

Fortunately, it worked. I'm pretty sure Sora hadn't even realized that Cloud was with us. That happens a lot, I've noticed. Sometimes Cloud is so reserved and quiet that you don't even notice him. Sora went flying into Cloud's arms, and for a second, I was reminded of when we were ten, at Roxas' birthday party, when Roxas had went flying into Sora's arms.

Life was so simple back then.

"Good to see you too, Sora, but that doesn't change the fact that your father changed the subject." Cloud announced. Go Cloud! You tell him! Silence filled the room, and that's when Cloud began to get fidgety and anxious.

Here's another fact about Cloud: He's impatient.

"God dammit, Sunny, tell me what's going on!" Cloud shouted into the quiet room. And I couldn't help myself, I jumped. As did Sora. And unfortunately, even as we tried to play it off, Sora's mom caught it. Of course…She notices everything about us.

"Alright, all adults outside. Now." She announced as Sora and I both groaned. But I didn't really mind. I still needed to have this talk with Sora.

The second the door closed, Agent Kuey made his move.

I climbed on top of him and slid his body down under me, straddling his hips and pinning his arms above his head. He blushed. That blush made my insides do somersaults, but I played it off with a grin. I had to keep this confident front going, otherwise he would see right through me. I didn't want Sora to see just how head over heels I was for him.

"R-Riku…" He stammered, looking away from me. I couldn't help but run my eyes up and down his body. Damn, Sora had really gotten sexy since I'd left. His muscles were tight and toned, his frame still had that seductive flow to it, and the way his body was trembling still managed to arouse me.

"Just like old times, huh?" I laughed, but as I laughed, I noticed his face distorting. His eyes were watering and all swirly, like he was remembering something and he began to tremble.

"YOU FUCKING JERK!" Sora suddenly screamed, flailing and trashing to try to get out of my grasp. Whoa! What did I say?! I had to calm him down.

"Kiwi-" I began before he bit me! He bit my lower lip so hard it began to bleed! What the FUCK?! My eyes began to water…dammit. I licked my lip and tried to act like that didn't just draw blood, and that that didn't faze me at all. I don't think it worked.

"You listen and you listen good! I gave you the best years of my life, and you destroyed it in one night! Not to mention the other thing I gave to you that night too. And what happens? You chicken out and leave for three years! You said we were in it together, and you leave me to repair all your fucking damage."

Yeah…I think that was when I completely zoned out. All I know is that the only thing running through my mind was that: I made Sora _cry_. It's always the worst feeling watching Sora cry. Kairi and Roxas can attest to that. It's like watching a puppy being run over, or seeing your favorite teddy bear go up in flames.

It was his last statements, however, that caught my attention.

"I don't know why you came back," he sighed, "but frankly, I don't care." He was _so _lying. "If you came to get some kind of forgiveness, you came in vain." He is seriously laying on the hurt! "If you want my friendship again, you'll have to earn it."

We both froze. Was that….a challenge?

Sora was challenging me to win him back! YES! Oh boy, was this going to be fun.

"Alright, Sora…I understand. If I were you, I would feel the exact same way. But…" I paused, turning to him with a devilish gleam in my eyes.

"…I will earn your friendship again." I made sure to tell him as I stretched. I made my way to the door, but not before turning around and winking. "And more."

The last thing I saw as I left the room was Sora wearing a horrified expression.

When I left room 666, there was a beautiful nurse standing with all of the adults. She was gorgeous! She had long midnight colored hair, and similar midnight colored eyes that just seemed to sparkle under the bright hospital ceiling lights. Her bangs were side-swept, and she was gazing at the ground, looking ashamed.

Everyone looked up at me as I shut the door.

"R-Riku? Is that…Is that Riku?" The nurse seemed to ask Cloud, staring at me in amazement. I frowned. Did I know her? Granted, she did look pretty familiar, although I couldn't put my finger on exactly who it was she reminded me of.

Cloud quickly stood in front of me, almost protective, and frowned deeply at her. Leon, Sunny and Felicia just looked away.

"Yes, this is _my_ son Riku. Now if you don't mind, I'm sure Sunny and Felicia are anxious to discover just what the problem with Sora is." Cloud snapped, glaring at her. The nurse blinked, shocked into silence, for a couple of minutes before clearing her throat and looking at the clipboard.

I could have slapped Cloud just then. What was wrong with him? I didn't like guys who made pretty girls sad, and Cloud was doing just that! What was his deal?

"Okay, we have the long-term results, but as for the short-term, we had to run a few tests on him. He had a stress attack that developed into the early stages of a heart attack and-"

I stopped listening. Pain does that to you.

* * *

**The Waiting Room**

I was a man on a mission.

As I sat impatiently in one of the stiff, ridiculously uncomfortable green chairs they had in the waiting room, I couldn't help but feel almost as though I had done something wrong. I mean, yes, of course I had, three years go…but now, I felt really, really guilty. Maybe it was because I had just sort of hit on Sora and then vanished without a trace.

Cloud and Leon were at the reception desk, attempting to convince the lady that they had just visited Sora and not some kid named Klutz. Sheila was no longer there, but some other person. Jeez, you'd think Sheila would change the name when we first told her to, but apparently, that was just _too much work!_

But yes, back to my mission.

**Agent****: Kuey**

**Past experience****: Has successfully fallen in love twice. Has successfully screwed up his life. Has no idea why he is writing this as he sits impatiently in the stiff, ridiculously uncomfortable green chair in the waiting room.**

**Mission****: Agent Kuey**** must win back the trust and friendship of Agent Kiwi by using any means necessary. He must do it quickly before Agent Kiwi makes a dying pact with Agent Ro****cky to kick the ass of Agent Kuey**

**Cue **_**Mission Impossible **_**theme song.**

"Riku," Cloud called me from across the room. Everyone in the waiting room who had been resting peacefully lifted their heads to glare at Cloud. "Let's go, because _obviously_," He turned to Reception Desk Lady and glared, "nurses have never heard of a thing called, 'manners' around here."

I raised an eyebrow at him. Hmm…ever since he had been hanging with Leon, Cloud was becoming more and more expressive. Back when he was with…_Him_Cloud had been more of the quiet, intense type who let his actions do the talking for him.

Now just look at him; Shouting in hospitals and seducing businessmen.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the hospital now, or we'll have to resort to sedatives." The lady said, yawning as if she had seen it all before. Cloud scowled darkly at her, and for a moment I was reminded fleetingly of when Roxas would get really pissed off at something and showed it in his expression. I used to love that big look on that small face.

Yes…It's funny how things don't work out.

We climbed back into the limo, but this time I snuggled up to Cloud. It was something that I used to do as a kid, and I hadn't done it in years, but just being near Cloud always made me feel better when I was feeling my worse.

Cloud almost automatically slung an arm around my shoulders and held me close. I could see Leon staring at us with an unreadable expression on his face, but I shut my eyes to it. I figured if I fell asleep, I could drown out the little voice in the back of my head that was telling me, 'You'll never get Sora back. Give it up.'

I think I fell asleep, but my mind was still racing. I could hear Leon and Cloud talking quietly, so I struggled to listen.

"Is he really your son?" Leon was asking softly.

"No...Riku was my husband's son." Cloud answered. Leon was silent for a little while, and all I could hear was the sound of trees and other cars passing us by. Finally, Leon had a response.

"…Was…?" He seemed to ask. Cloud chuckled slightly and ran a hand through my hair tenderly. He was silent for a moment, and I can only assume he was remembering something…

_"You can't make me go back! They hate me!" Riku shouted at Sephiroth, angrily throwing a glass slipper at the wall. It shattered. Cloud quickly went over to comfort Riku, but Sephiroth froze him where he was with a cold glare. He went over to pick up the glass pieces instead. Sephiroth turned his gaze to Riku, narrowing his eyes._

_"That slipper belonged to Cinderella, one of my greatest fucks." Sephiroth told him coldly. Cloud recoiled in disgust and dropped the pieces as if they were on fire. Both Riku and Sephiroth gave him apologetic looks before glaring back at each other._

_"You are being utterly absurd. Now you will go to that school, and you will go _**now**_." _

_Riku's rage finally got the best of him, and he seethed in silence for a second before finally grabbing his backpack from the floor and storming out of the house, slamming the door behind him._

_It was silent in the house. Sephiroth's cruel, cold demeanor finally melted, and he sagged quite ungracefully into a chair. He put his head into his hands. Cloud briefly ignored his own anger for a moment in favor of going to his lover. He wrapped his arms around him, ignoring the way Sephiroth's whole body seemed to tense up._

_"He loves you, you know." Cloud said quietly. Sephiroth snorted but otherwise said nothing. "He does!" He insisted, running a hand in his long silver tendrils._

_"I'm sure the only thing about me that he loves…is to hate me." Sephiroth muttered darkly. Cloud frowned, but he didn't know what to say to make it better. But that was alright with Sephiroth. He didn't want to deal with this anyway. Emotional dwellings were not his style._

_Sephiroth stood up, gently pushing Cloud out of the way, and snatched his coat from the closet. He tossed Cloud a dark smirk before making his way out of the house._

_"I'm going out. Don't wait up…otherwise you'll be waiting forever." And with that, Sephiroth was gone, leaving Cloud there to put a hand over his heart, noting the pain that lay deep in its walls._

Cloud sighed wistfully, and within that sigh, I could hear a hint of repressed pain and longing in his voice. "Yes, _was_. His name was Sephiroth, and he was a man-whore."

The cars and trees whirled on.

**6****th**** Period**

It didn't take a genius to see that Cloud only told Leon to drop me off at school so he could have more alone time with him. There were only thirty more minutes of school left, but oh no, thirty minutes are like thirty hours to Cloud when he's with that stoic rock.

Whatever. I just had to make sure I was able to get to- I checked my schedule- Miss Yuffie's combat class without getting lost again. I didn't have Axel with me this time, so I would either have to ask for help, or find the damn courtyard on my own.

For future reference, Riku Tarada _never_ asks for help.

"Hi, my name is Riku Tarada and I need some help; I'm a new student here. I was wondering if you could show me to my next class." I said confidently, tapping some guy decked out in all biker clothes. My better judgment told me not to speak to what appeared to be a random adult in this giant school but…he was the only one in the hall. And perhaps I was just judging him too quickly.

He turned around, and my mouth fell open in shock. He had steel colored hair with lavender highlights in them and a style that had part of his hair covering one startling purple eye. He was fragile looking and his expression was one of pure boredom, and his small frame seemed to be slung in an almost expectant way; almost as if he were waiting for someone to come and occupy his time.

Zexion!

"Zex! What are you doing here?!" I exclaimed as I threw my arms around him. The normally withdrawn boy chuckled and allowed one of his arms to circle my shoulder blades. "I thought you were being initiated!"

Zexion shushed me as he pulled me into a random empty classroom before breaking our embrace. "Why don't you just go public with that shit?" He hissed at me harshly. Whatever. This was Zexion- if he didn't have an attitude it just wouldn't be Zex.

Nonetheless, I grinned. I just wouldn't be Riku if I didn't. "And risk you going to jail?" I made my eyes go wide. "Never!"

Zexion scoffed and rolled his eyes (Or the visible one at least) but a small smile was tugging on the corners of his lips. "Would you like to know why I'm here or do you plan to just act like an idiot all day, Riku Tarada?"

My grin widened. "Actually, I appear to have a prior engagement." Zexion seemed puzzled at the very least, and frowned at me.

"What could you possibly have to do that is more important than you're good old pal Zexion?" He demanded. Now it was my turn to roll my eyes.

"School, Zex. School." I pointed out as if he were stupid. He made a face but exited the room, cocking a finger for me to follow him. I debated following him. When it came to Zexion, you never knew where you would end up. Besides, this was giving me a strange sense of Déjà vu. But in the end, my feet mimicked his as I sped up slightly to catch up with him.

"Since when do you care about school…?" I heard Zexion mutter under his breath, but I choose to ignore it in favor of the comforting quiet.

"So where exactly are you going?" He asked after we walked in silence. I shrugged.

"I don't know, I was looking for the courtyard before I saw you. You were just sexy I had to stop." I replied, my words dripping with sarcasm. Zexion made a grunting sound before pointing to a set of stairs to the right of where we were standing.

"Up the stairs, turn to the left, and climb out the window. Jump down from the balcony and you'll land in some trees. Crawl down the trees and you'll land right where Yuffie's class is." Zexion informed me, his voice expressionless and quiet. I stared at him with wide eyes.

"Dude, how do you know all of that?" I wanted to know. Zexion tilted his head at me and gave me a disbelieving glare.

"Have you forgotten already?"

My mind flashed back…

_"…Going to school, my ass." Riku muttered under his breath, storming down the sidewalk. He paused. Where the hell was he going to go? Everywhere worth going, like the mall to scam on chicks, a bar to get drunk, or the movies to go watch a porno required a car so…_

_A glare from the sun hit his eyes and he winced towards the direction of the garage. Suddenly an idea hit him. Cloud's motorcycle was sitting pretty in there, and he didn't have to be at his "job" until eight at night. He wouldn't even notice it was gone!_

_"HOLY FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!" Riku shouted. He was currently sitting up in a tree, screwed out of his mind. Cloud's bike, or what was left of it, was sticking out of the great maple tree, burning in anger. Riku closed his eyes and slammed his fist into his head. He was so goddamn stupid!_

_He could ignore the angry welt on his cheek, or the countless scratches tattered across his chest and his arms, but what he could not ignore was the hurt, disappointed, major pissed off look on Cloud's face when he discovered what happened to his motorcycle._

_"For a little fee, I can fix that for you." A quiet voice called out to him. Riku blinked and peered down from the branch he was perched in. A small, slate-haired boy was staring at Cloud's ruined bike with interest, snapping a picture of it with his cell phone from different angles. Riku rubbed his hands together anxiously._

_"How much is 'a little fee'?" Riku wanted to know. The slate-haired boy finally looked up at him, and a pair of shockingly purple eyes focused onto his. _

_"I don't know; depends on the damage." He answered. Riku mulled it over. Well, he had some munny on him, and it wasn't like he was going to school anyway, so…_

_"Alright, then. Where's your shop?" _

_"…and then, I got the phone call, high-tailed it out of there, and ended up here." Riku finished, recounting the drama that got him in __Bastian__Bay__ in the first place. The boy, Zexion, Riku learned was his name, was working on the motorcycle, along with a few of his family members inside of the garage of their family restaurant, Quiet Observations._

_"Damn…that's rough, kid." Zexion's oldest brother, Xigbar or 'Xiggie' as they all called him, commented from where he was working on the motor. Riku just sighed._

_"I know. But I brought it on myself, you have to admit." Riku replied. Zexion, finally finished with the paint and the repairs, stood up, wiping some the back of his hand across his forehead and as a result, smudging some oil and dirt onto it. _

_"Look, Riku," Zexion began, turning to him with a small smirk, "sometimes in order for a man to be a man, he has to get away from his problems for a while. Cowardly? Yes. Irresponsible? Of course. But needed? Almost indefinitely."_

_There were many grunts of acknowledgement from the other family members who were sitting around, talking to Riku and listening to his story. Finally, after what seemed like little time, Cloud's motorcycle was fixed and perfect. In fact, it looked better than it did before. Riku hopped up from the couch he was sitting on and walked over to Xiggie and Zexion._

_"Hey, wait, d__id you by any chance go to Lucky__ High while you were in Destiny Island?" Zexion suddenly asked him. Riku rubbed the back of his arm sheepishly._

_"Yeah, how did you know?"_

_Zexion smirked and pointed to R__iku's backpack. It had the Lucky__ High Crest stitched into it. It was the required backpack that all the students had to use, probably to further un-individualize them._

_"I used to go there myself. I lived in __Destiny__Island__ for eighteen years before I moved here to live with my dad about two years ago." He explained. Riku nodded in understanding. To live somewhere for almost eighteen years could spark the urge to move somewhere else…_

_"So how much do I owe you?" He asked. Zexion exchanged looks from all of his family members before turning back to Riku. He shook his head._

_"It's on the house."_

_"Really?"_

_"Only if…you come visit us again, and let me drive you home. It's getting late, school is no doubt over for you, and you can't drive worth shit."_

I grinned at Zexion sheepishly. I forgot all about our first meeting until now. Zexion just rolled his eyes and pushed in front of me, beginning to climb up the stairs.

"Just come on. You're already an hour late as it is, and Yuffie isn't going to like that, no matter what the excuse is."

**Yuffie's Combat Class: The Courtyard**

"…And that's my history!" Yuffie finished, having just recounted her whole life's story. That's when I fell in. Literally. Zexion wasn't kidding when he said that I'd land right in the middle of her class. There were screams and shouts as I hit the ground with a painful _oompf!_ but I could quite clearly hear one snicker that made my blood run cold.

Roxas.

"And who might you be, young ninja warrior?" Yuffie asked me angrily, slinging her hip and resting a hand on it. I stood up with an eye-roll and dusted myself off. Teachers who had attitudes annoyed me immensely.

"Riku Tarada. I'm new." I told her, ignoring the giggles being directed my way and the eyes of some of my classmates. Miss Yuffie noticed, however.

"Do you all have something to say to him? 'Cause if you do, I ask that you get it over with now, so I can go one teaching class." She snapped. Immediately the giggling stopped and the gazes were directed elsewhere. I grinned. Forget what I said about attitude, her attitude was beautiful if she planned to use it in my favor.

"Alright, Riku, you can go ahead and take a seat next to your classmates." Yuffie announced, pointing straight at Roxas. He scowled, but scooted over nonetheless. I took that as a good sign.

"Okay! So I guess since we're running out of time, we'll just have a quick demonstration of what we'll be working on during this portion of P.E. May I have a volunteer?" Yuffie asked brightly. Silence reigned.

"I will, Miss Fie!" A familiar sultry drawl called out. Roxas' whole body seemed to shudder at the voice, and that's when the owner of it revealed himself. I mentally smacked my forehead. I should have known. Axel.

As Axel and Yuffie began to circle each other, and Axel fished out a blue lighter (which you're actually not supposed to have in Lucky High), the students all began to stand up and cheer for Axel. Well, everyone except for Roxas and I. Roxas, probably because he was still angry, and me, just because I was scared that if I moved, Roxas would lose his newfound calm.

"Axel, you just ruined another pair of wonderfully good shorts!" Yuffie complained as she swatted at a flame on her shorts, but still managing to block Axel's follow-up attack. Axel just smirked and flicked the lighter some more.

"BURN, BABY!" He cackled.

"I'm only letting you sit here because of Sora." Roxas commented softly out of the blue. I glanced at him, but otherwise remained silent. I got the feeling that he wasn't finished.

"I wanted to go see him, but the damn school administrators told me I had to wait until after school. " He paused when Yuffie managed to cut Axel a little, but continued upon noting that it didn't really hurt him. "Then I planned to sneak out, it's pretty easy to do so, but I remembered that I'm on probation. If I was caught I could have gotten suspended again so…"

Roxas trailed off and looked back to the battle. "I know you got to see him so…how is his asthma?"

I shook my head a little. It was nice to hear Roxas' voice again, but I just wish it was because he actually wanted to talk to me, rather than because his concern for Sora overrode his hate for me. Nonetheless, I answered the question.

"Well, I went in to see him first," I began, ignoring the memories of Sora's body flush under mine. I'm sure Roxas wouldn't want to hear that. "And then I left his room, where all the adults were. At first they all seemed to be having some kind of argument or something, but then the actual doctor came, and all attention went back to Sora's health.

"The doctor, he seemed to mumble something at first, but when Mrs. Hikaru got angry due to her nerves, he just blurted it out. Sora's asthma, which had been making positive progress, has suddenly started to get worse, and because of that…" I paused and looked away, causing Roxas to make an impatient sound in the back of his throat.

"What? Just tell me!" Roxas all but shouted. I finally turned back to him with a dismayed expression on my face. It hurt to even say it.

"Because of that, Sora has been re-diagnosed with hyperventilation syndrome."

Roxas cursed and turned away from me. "The doctor says that although it had been cured before, it was because it had occurred from the stress attacks he used to get regularly, so when the stress attacks were "cured" and prevented, so was the syndrome. But this time, he says that because the hyperventilation has reoccurred from a direct connection with the asthma…it will be harder to cure this time."

Roxas stood up and glared at me angrily. I stared up at him, confused. What did I do now? I thought we had been making progress! He was talking to me, and we were bonding over our mutual dismay over Sora's health and…

Roxas looked over at Axel with a small smile and pulled his backpack over his shoulder. But when he looked back down at me, the glare was back on his face and his eyes seemed be rooting me to the spot. He looked scary as shit.

All he said were four words, and those four words made my stomach clench. "I saw you two."

**Lockers**

I told Zexion to wait for me while I went to my locker. He grudgingly went into the bathroom, leaving me to wrestle with it alone.

In Bastian Bay, we didn't have lockers. We had stalls. We bought our own locks, and we basically had a jumbo sized locker that we could store all of our goodies in. Here, in Lucky High, despite the size of the school itself, we have itty bitty Easy Bake Oven sized lockers. First, they come with their own locks, so you have to sit there and play thumb war with the stupid spinner.

Then, once you manage to open it, it's so vandalized and unsanitary that you debate putting your shit in there at all!

And finally, once you reason that, hey, it's just a locker and prepare to put your belongings in there, nothing fits, because it's like the little shoe cubbies they give you at Chuckie Cheese's!

So because of this, I couldn't say I was surprised when I saw Kairi struggling to pull out the books she had crammed into her locker. Those lockers were accidents waiting to happen. As I made my way over to her, I noticed a group of boys surrounding her, watching her ass as it wiggled up and down. I bristled. No one looked at _my_ childhood friend like that.

"Does she look like a mirror to you, or there any other reason why you're staring?" I asked them loudly and coldly, cracking my knuckles. Kairi looked up at me in surprise, before looking back behind her, zeroing in on her showing black lace panties. With a squeal, she pulled her skirt down, causing the guys who were watching to burst out in laughter.

All it took was a low snarl to get them running.

"Oh, this is so embarrassing! I hoped we would get to meet again on better circumstances!" Kairi cried, throwing her arms around me. I just grinned and returned the hug, taking a deep breath and inhaling the sweet scent of daisies and apples. I don't know if she wore perfume or something, but…Kairi always smelled tasty.

But not in a…weird way…

"Oh, don't worry about it. Although you might want to worry about that," I leaned down and smacked Kairi's small little ass, making her giggle and squeal, "short little skirt of yours!"

"Riku!" She shouted out, laughing as she chased me down the hall and towards the outside area where the school buses were. Little did I see at the time, however, a small brunette was watching us from behind her locker door, licking her lips as we raced down the hall.

**The Hollow Connection**

"Can you believe how much this place hasn't changed? It's like, when I come in here, we're still the same silly, mischievous ten-year olds that we were before." Kairi marveled, taking a bite of her double cheeseburger. I grinned and opened my mouth wide, letting her see all of my mushy food.

Now, I know most people would be disgusted by that kind of thing, and I can't say I could blame them. But with Kairi…Kairi would never be disgusted. I can just be my true, grinning, playful, sarcastic self with her. In fact, Kairi took one look at me before opening her own mouth, showing her own crunched up food.

An old lady passed by us and wrinkled up her nose in disgust. We both swallowed our food and looked at each other in an ashamed kind of way in silence. Then we both burst out laughing.

"Did you see her face?" I whispered, wiping some tears out of my eyes. Kairi just covered her mouth with her hand to attempt to stop laughing. Finally, we calmed down, and continued eating in a comfortable silence.

"Actually, Riku, there was a reason that I brought you here." Kairi began, wiping her mouth on her napkin. "Normally, I would have gone to visit Sora, but I heard that _you_ did, and I'm sure it's nothing, so…"

I interrupted her with a finger on her lips. "His hyperventilation…it's been re-diagnosed."

Kairi was quiet for a moment, nothing like how Roxas reacted, and took a sip of her Dr. Pepper. I waved a hand in her face.

"Kairi?"

"Let me process, Riku."

I waited impatiently as Kairi began to tug on a loose strand of her mid-length brown hair in thought. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she turned to me with a mischievous look in her eyes.

"Let's have a 'welcome back!' party for you!" She suggested, still deep in thought. I gave her a weird look. Okaaaay…I tell her that Sora has hyperventilation syndrome again and she suggests a party for _me_?

"Kairi," I asked seriously, "are you high?"

She rolled her eyes and hit me on the shoulder. "No, Riku, I'm serious. I've been doing some thinking, and well, I think that maybe Sora's health is being, I don't know, triggered."

I contemplated laughing, but by the expression on her face, I'd say she was being serious. We were both really playful people- all of our friends were, naturally- but we knew the difference between being humorous, and being solemn. And I think Kairi was actually being solemn.

"What do you mean?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow. She looked around her, checking to see if anyone was looking, before leaning in towards me.

"Well, I was surfing the web a couple of weeks ago, and I happened to come across an interesting story about a girl whose health depended solely on her heart."

I leaned in closer to Kairi, pushing my bangs out of my eyes in interest. "So basically, for this girl, her emotional pain was the same as her physical pain?"

Kairi nodded. "Exactly." She picked up a fry and waved it in my face conspiratorially. "I think Sora may be going through the same thing. I think that somehow, whenever he gets upset, his heart physically takes a beating."

I chewed on my thumbnail a little bit and leaned back in my chair, thinking. If what Kairi thought was true, and what Cloud insisted had meaning... that would explain why Sora's health has suddenly taken a turn for the worse at the same time that I've come back.

That would mean then, that because Sora is upset and hurt that I've returned, his hyperventilation problems have returned as well.

"It all makes sense now." I looked down at the tablecloth and continued to bite on my nails. "_I'm_ the reason Sora's health has worsened."

Kairi looked dismayed. "No! That's not what I meant! I just meant that I think Sora is making himself sick in his subconscious." She flipped her hair behind her shoulders, which meant that that was final. I just nodded.

"That's why I think we should have a party. If my assumptions are correct, then that means if he's happy, he'll get better!" Kairi clapped her hands for emphasis. I frowned at her in confusion.

"Okaaaay….?"

"Okaaaaay, so if I can get you two to be friends again, or at least to be civil, he'll be better. And what's one of his favorite things in the world…?"

"Parties…" I was beginning to catch on.

"Right. Now, Sora's always been a really forgiving person, so I have no doubt in my mind that it'll only take a heartfelt chat for you two to be on good terms. Roxas, however, is the type who holds grudges."

I wrinkled my nose. I was confused again. "What does this plan have to do with Roxas?"

Kairi shook her head slowly at me like I was stupid. "It has everything to do with Roxas, you should know that! Sora feels as though he has to be the best friend he can be to Roxas because of how horrible a one he was back then. He won't forgive you until Roxas does, just on principle alone."

"Kairi…it won't be that easy." I said softly. Kairi frowned at me.

"Why not?"

"Roxas saw me, _us_, that night." I explained. Kairi was silent for a moment.

"He saw both you and Sora?"

"Yes."

Kairi sighed deeply, but otherwise said nothing. Finally, she seemed to decide something. "You two didn't just make a mistake, Riku." Kairi said softly. "You had been in love with him long before that night, and I think Roxas realizes that."

She nodded her head decisively. "You three will be friends again."

What Kairi said was making sense, but I don't know how she planned to do all of that in one party. I figured it would take years for Roxas to ever forgive me, although I have to say, we were making good progress on the talking front earlier.

"But don't worry; I'm almost positive he'll forgive you tomorrow at the party." Kairi reassured me, standing up and throwing down two twenties. She walked outside, motioning for me to follow, before stopping in front of Leon's snazzy limo.

After school had ended, we got a ride from Leon and Cloud (I was totally mooching, I know) to The Hollow Connection, the walk-in diner we used to go to and coincidentally the one Axel works at, to catch up.

Kairi turned to me with a smile and handed me a flyer. It read:

**Guess who is shaking things up on ****Destiny****Island**

**Welcome home Riku Tarada, male model and former football star**** back to where he belongs!**

**What: Welcome Home Party for Riku!**

**Where: Kairi's house!**

**When: Tomorrow, starting at six**

**What to wear: Your hottest outfit- this is a party people, and if you're not hot, you're not allowed inside! Haha, just kidding! (No seriously, no sweats allowed)**

"Kairi! I'm not a male model!" I exclaimed, thrusting the flyer back in her face. She shoved me away and clasped her hands behind her back innocently.

"No, but you could be. I'm sure almost everyone is thinking it anyway, so who cares if I over exaggerated a little bit? Besides, I had to make it interesting. Swing by my house a little later, and I'll tell you the _plan_." She emphasized the word 'plan' by winking. I just rolled my eyes and opened the limo door for her.

Cloud and Leon were looking up at us innocently; A little too innocently, if you ask me. But I suppose I wouldn't want to know what they were actually doing while they were waiting for us.

"Actually, I think I'll walk. I want to swing by Axel's place before I go and then visit Sora back at his house. I have to give him time to go to lung therapy, you know?" Kairi explained, taking a step back and already fishing out her cell phone. I nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Bye, Riku. This was nice."

And you know what? It _was_ nice. But do you know something else? It wasn't until we were halfway back to Cloud's place when I realized I definitely left Zexion back at the school.

**Lucky**** High School, the Bathroom Stall**

Zexion rolled his eyes upwards and kicked the stall open. That son of a bitch Riku forgot about him. Only one word described what he was feeling right now.

"Fuck."

"Not when we're just meeting again!" Another voice quipped. Zexion whirled around and his eyes widened. This person…this person was…

A ghost.

* * *

**Yeah, actually hyperventilation syndrome is real. I looked it up and everything, it can actually be "cured", but only in a direct relation with the disease it resulted in. Wikipedia and health sites explain it well. SO...there is still hope for Sora!**

**Zexion made his appearance as did Yuffie and Tifa! Oh, and don't worry about the guardian thing yet. That will be explained later. So I guess you can take it as foreshadowing to the bigger plot in the story!**

**Riku was kind of a jerk in this chapter, huh? Lol, well he can't be roses and daisies every chapter. And strangely, I like Kairi when she's with Riku. Of course, I like her character in this story, but I just like her personality when she's hanging with Riku.**

**Next chapter many of the questions about Namine or other characters (excluding Sora and Riku) will hopefully be answered. And I will update really soon, okay? I won't wait as long as I did for this chapter! Reviews, as we know, make me happy and inspired, and questions or other comments are appreciated as well!**

**-BB**


	7. Another Side, Another Story

**Filter alert! Filter alert! No just kidding...or am I? This chapter only has brief mentionings of Soriku and Akuroku, but instead focuses on Zemyx, Namine (kinda unrequited), Cleon and Sephy! I'm pretty sure you don't have to read this chapter to understand with the story, but I do suggest that if you plan to skip this chappie, scroll down to the bottom to understand what Riku is up to in the next chapter. But...I would much rather have you guys read this!**

**The song I was listening to for the Cleon section was, hehe, Britney. Gimme More by Britney Spears! I can't help but love that song! So I guess my new 'thing' is to update at midnight or something. I mean, really. This is seriously becoming a habit. This can't be healthy! Anyway...ignoring my random rambling...**

**Reviewers:**

**Kira Sakura: (Yay! You liked it! And I got a cookie! Lol, the love is coming, the love is coming...thanks!)**

**SuperFriendlySoraFan203: (Yeah, hyperventilation is real. You ever seen Runaway Bride? I think that's what Maggie had but I'm not positive. Anywho, thanks for reviewing!)**

**Kita Ito (for a new review on chap. 1): (Thank you! I hope you enjoy the rest!)**

**Mentally Insane Fangirl: (I updated! Thank you so much! Yep, I agree, Riku has been being a jerk. But that shall change, darn it!) **

Here's the next chapter!

* * *

**That same day….**

**In the case of a 23 year old mechanic**

Zexion stared at the figure in front of him in disbelief. This boy, this familiar, joking young boy, was supposed to be dead. Not dead as in, he's dead to me, kind of dead. But dead as in, shot in the head, swimming with the fishes, kind of dead.

He knew he couldn't possibly be imagining him, seeing how Zexion's imagination had been locked away a long time ago, sealed with a kiss. But, there was no other explanation. Ghosts weren't real. Were they?

"Is this really the greeting I get after being apart for what? Five years?" The ghost spoke, his voice dripping with humor and happiness. Zexion's eyes simply widened. Maybe he was imagining him. Ghosts didn't have melodic voices or twinkles in their eyes. And ghosts sure as hell didn't look at humans the way he was looking at him now.

It was almost as if…this ghost…wanted to…kiss him.

"Demyx." The ghost stated as he pointed to himself, suddenly furious. Zexion blinked. And then he blinked again. Then again, maybe he wasn't a ghost…

"I'm Demyx." He tried again, this time grabbing Zexion's hand. "Have you honestly forgotten me already?"

Oh. So…so Demyx wasn't a ghost. Ghosts couldn't touch people. Zexion made a strange sound in the back of his throat. So…Demyx was really here. Alive.

In that case…

Zexion grabbed Demyx's wrists and pinned him to the wall, causing his old friend to gasp from the impact. He pulled his body flush against the other's and attacked his lips, parting them and diving deep into his mouth, tears of happiness threatening to spill from his lavender purple eyes.

"Zexion…" Demyx whimpered when Zexion finally let him breathe. He put his forehead to his and tried to catch his breath. Zexion let go of his wrists, instead placing a hand on either side of the "ghost's" head, effectively trapping him in his arms. He wouldn't let him escape.

"I thought you were dead. What the fuck happened?" He growled fiercely.

Demyx seemed to shrink a little under the heavy glare. "Xiggie couldn't do it."

"Xiggie didn't…he couldn't…kill you? But he was-" Zexion began before Demyx cut him off with a glare of his own.

"Ordered to kill me, yeah I know. But unlike some people, he loved me enough to want me to live." Demyx snapped, narrowing his eyes. Zexion was silent. He didn't know what he could say to make what happened seem like it wasn't a betrayal. But he didn't have to say anything; Demyx wasn't done.

"You know, Zex, its funny. Xiggie, who, half the time couldn't even stand me, was willing to die to save me. But you, my boyfriend or whatever the hell we were back then, were willing to let your brother shoot me in the head. What the fuck is wrong with that picture? I wish I was a ghost, just so I could haunt you the rest of your life with the knowledge that you chose ultimate power over a life."

Zexion gazed at the floor. He was right. He was completely, utterly correct. And that hardly ever happened with Demyx. What he did was inexcusable. The only defense he could give was that…he was a kid. He had wanted power, or more so, he wanted to be equal.

Somehow 'I'm sorry' just didn't seem to cover letting your boyfriend be killed.

"There's no need for you to be a ghost. Just the thought of what I'd done has been haunting me for the past five years anyway." Zexion said simply response. He met Demyx's glare head on, causing the younger to blush slightly before looking away himself. He groaned.

"Ugh…well, I know you're sorry. Right?" Demyx raised his eyebrows at him for confirmation.

"That would be correct." Zexion nodded.

"Alright, well, whatever. I forgive you. I know why you did it, and I kinda understand. Besides…I missed you." Demyx smiled. Zexion was shocked to say at the very least.

"You…forgive me?"

"Yes! Jeez, Zexion, you really have to learn how to process things quicker. I. Forgive. You." And with that, Demyx leaned up and captured Zexion's surprised lips in another passionate kiss, one that even had Zexion's knees buckling.

**In the case of an eighteen year old artist**

Namine wished she knew how Axel really felt about her.

True, they indeed were dating, and true, he said countless times that he cared for her, but sometimes…

She saw the way he looked at Roxas. And he sure didn't look at her that way. She hoped Roxas knew how honored he was, to even be receiving a little bit of his attention. Namine sighed and continued to add red to her newest painting. If she just knew that he loved her as much as she loved him. If she just knew that he wasn't just using her to make Roxas jealous or something. If she just knew…

…how Axel really felt about her…

"Namine, have you even tried asking him?" Selphie, one her closest, albeit younger, friend wanted to know from her position on Namine's bed. Namine shook her head silently in disappointment. Sometimes she really hated herself. She was cowardly, too skinny, and much, much too shy.

In her head, she was confident and beautiful, and she looked at everyone when she spoke in a clear, loud voice that she made everyone _notice _her. But it was only in her head…

Maybe that's why she liked Axel so much. He said what he wanted to say, no matter what the consequence was. He was always so confident and fun…the complete opposite of her. And he had presence. Because she was so quiet, she tended to get lost in the crowd quite frequently. It didn't used to bother her, but now…

Now she was ready to fight.

Namine could remember quite clearly what life was like when she first met Axel, Roxas and everyone on the island when she first moved here last year.

_Flashback_

_Namine was never the most…well, athletic banana in the bunch._

"_Please…please give it back!" Namine begged quietly, jumping to no prevail to retrieve her sketchbook from the clutches of the three strangers who were tossing it around. She had just gotten off the train to Destiny Islands, and she ended up running into the bullies of the town._

_She was a junior, for Christ sake! She should be able to tell these bullies to give it back to her without her voice cracking or her body trembling._

_No such luck. _

"_Hey! Start picking on kids your own size, you asshole!" Came a voice from behind her. All four of them turned to see a blonde boy, about her height, glaring at the bullies and holding a stick in his hand. He had the most amazing blue eyes Namine had ever seen!_

"_Why don't you make us, freshman?" The tallest bully challenged, throwing Namine's sketch book into the mud. Namine's eyes widened, and she quickly ran to retrieve it._

"_Let's go then!" The boy shouted, running and tackling the tall one. The other two stepped away, looking shocked, as the blonde began pummeling the leader with unbelievable strength. _

_Namine watched, still a little shaken, as the blonde successfully managed to beat the tall one unconscious._

"_Let's get out of here, y'know?" One of them exclaimed, dragging the bully's body away. The girl, the other one in the bunch, nodded in agreement, running after him._

"_Yes. Out."_

_When they were out of sight, Namine turned to the blonde with a shy smile. She stood up and clutched the sketchbook to her chest protectively._

"_Thank you."_

_The blonde hero smiled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, well…I have a thing for pretty girls."_

_Namine giggled into her hands. Was this boy really a freshman? He sure had a lot of confidence! More than she would ever have…._

"_What's your name? I'm Roxas Haiku, a freshman at Lucky High. Are you new?" Roxas asked her, dusting off his clothes and attempting to get the wrinkles out of his oversized jacket. Namine hugged her own denim jacket in response. It was the fall season, and she should have figured it wouldn't be safe for her to be wandering by herself. But…isn't that what she would be doing?_

_Namine would be living by herself in a small apartment not far from the local college she planned to attend when she graduated. She would be alone, she knew that when she first decided to move here, but maybe if she made some friends…_

"_I'm Namine Stone, and yes, I'm new. I'm a junior." Namine introduced herself, looking at her shoes. When she peered back up again, Roxas looked surprised, but seemed to catch himself with a grin._

"_Well, Namine, I guess it's my duty to show you that not everyone in Destiny Island is a jerk. In fact, I was just about to return this jacket to my boyfriend's house. I think he said that all our friends were there. Do you want to come with me?" Roxas asked. Namine blinked a little. Did he say boyfriend? _

_Roxas held out his hand to her. Staring at it, she nodded slightly. This was her chance to change. She took a risk. She took his hand._

* * *

_By the time Roxas and Namine reached Axel's house, they were already good friends. There was something so…relaxing about Roxas. He was funny, playful, but most of all he was sincere. He seemed so much older than his age._

"_Okay, so don't be overwhelmed, okay? You seem kind of shy, so just stay by my side and you should be okay." Roxas told me hastily, not giving Namine any time to respond. With their hands still intertwined, he opened the door and dragged her inside._

_When they entered, Namine was standing in front of four teenagers, all of which who were sitting cross legged on the floor. They all looked up. Namine immediately dropped her gaze down._

"_Hey guys, this is Namine. She's new, and she's a junior." Roxas turned to Namine. "Hey, Namine, you know Axel's a junior too. Unfortunately the rest of us are all freshmen."_

_Namine peered up at Roxas through her eyelashes. "Your lover Axel?"_

_Roxas blushed slightly at the teasing looks he received. "Yeah, my boyfriend."_

"_That'd be me. Hi, I'm Axel. A-X-E-L, got it memorized?" Someone was speaking to her. Namine raised her head and looked up at the speaker…only to drop it again in embarrassment. This guy…this guy was breathtakingly gorgeous! He had hair the color of a rose, eyes the color of a lime, and a body that was buff and muscled without being large. In fact, he was quite skinny looking and really, really tall. Namine could feel the crimson red heat on her face._

"_Talk about blank with a capital 'B'. Man, oh, man, Roxas, where did you find this shy little cutie?" Axel wanted to know. Namine snuck a glance up at him. He was smirking down at her. She couldn't deny it, this man was beautiful. Beautiful as in…the way she found Picasso's artwork breathtakingly beautiful…_

"_Seifer and his goons were messing with her. But it's cool; I taught them what happens when you play with fire." Roxas explained with an eye roll. Axel laughed and rustled Roxas' already strangely shaped hair._

"_That's my Rocky!" He said affectionately, placing a kiss to the top of Roxas' head. Roxas blushed and Namine averted her eyes. That's right. Axel was already taken. She had no right to ogle him like that. _

"_Hi, I'm Sora!" A voice called out from the ground. Namine looked over to see a brunette boy getting up to go greet her. Unfortunately he ended up stepping on his own shoelace and went tumbling to the ground in front of her feet. She giggled._

"_Don't mind him; he's pretty much a klutz. I'm Selphie!" Another brunette introduced, holding out her hand in Namine's face. She was a pretty girl with curls in the ends of her brown hair, and her eyes were full of excitement. Namine liked her already._

"_And last but not least, I'm Kairi. You can usually find me hanging around these bozos." The introducer, Kairi, said with a little giggle. Namine giggled as well. Kairi was so pretty and friendly; everyone was. _

_Namine was in over her head._

"Another painting of him? Jeez, Namine, you've got to broaden your horizons!" Selphie exclaimed, watching as Namine propped up her most recent painting of Axel onto her wall.

Namine sighed wistfully and put down her painting utensils. She couldn't lie, she had loved Axel from the moment she met him. And Roxas…she really did like Roxas. She just didn't like Roxas liking Axel. She just had to break them up.

Unfortunately, she didn't want to do this with Axel knowing so. She knew he would stop seeing her if he thought she was trying to worm her way into his heart like this. She had decided to take an indirect approach, as in, agitating Roxas to the point where he got angry at Axel every time he saw him.

She was the secret lover. And she was sending the cards.

She felt so pathetic.

And yet…she'd never felt more powerful in her life.

**In the case of a 33 year old stoic rock**

Leon remained quiet as he watched Cloud and Riku cuddle in their sleep. They really were cute together. Honestly, he had never even seen a connection like the one Cloud and Riku shared. It was like, they needed each other or something, despite the many,_ many_ arguments they participated in.

He looked out the window with an inaudible sigh. If only he and his father were that close. It had always been his brother, Sunny, who had his father's attention. It was always about Sunny.

But of course it was. Sunny was a guardian, and Leon was merely a mercenary. One took rank over the other. Of course guardians were loved and adored much more than mercenaries. Who could love an assassin?

And now, he was to learn that _Cloud_ was a guardian? The same Cloud that had given him a lap dance? The same Cloud he had fucked senseless only a couple of days ago? That Cloud?

It figured the first person he would become close to in years was the one person he needed to stay away from. Cloud…

He could still clearly remember what it felt like with Cloud.

It had been his birthday a few days ago, he was turning 33, the big 3-3, and his best friend Yuffie wanted to do something special for him. He figured, why not? Lord knows how he never let Yuffie have any fun when she was with him, so why not let her do something nice?

**Then**

She took him to a damn strip club in Radiant Garden.

Not just any strip club, oh no, she took him to the most expensive, popular, public strip club there was around, where every one of his employing partners could see him. Okay, sure, so he didn't see any of them there, but still.

"Oh, Leon, isn't this place _hot_? It's called Seventh Heaven!" Yuffie had exclaimed, ordering them rounds of cosmos. Leon downed three in ten seconds. He would have to be drunk to get through the night.

He spent half the night drunkenly fending off other guys who wanted a one nighter, and the other half making sure Yuffie wasn't fucking raped, seeing how she kept trying to strip _her_ clothes off and wouldn't stop making out with random men.

Yet, she wouldn't let them leave. Leon found himself drunkenly wondering how many favors he would have to make to get this club closed down in three weeks. Just when he was about to physically drag Yuffie out the club and into his limo, the lights all shut off and all talking ceased.

"We hear it's someone's birthday tonight, and Seventh Heaven would like to give him to present him with a present." A quite sexy female voice spoke into the microphone. Oh no. It wasn't him, right?

"Leon…err, Leonhart." The voice declared, and a single spotlight landed on him. Leon froze as the crowd in the club burst out in jealous applause. Fuck.

Suddenly blue fog erupted from the run way, and all of the strippers retreated to the back.

_It's Britney bitch._

A shadow appeared at the end of the runway, and suddenly water began falling from the ceiling over him in rain drops, making the shadow's hair go from oddly spiky, to smooth and silky.

_Every time they turn the lights on. _

_Just want to go that extra mile for you._

_You got my display of affection._

_Feel's like no one else in the room._

And then, Leon saw him. The sexiest man Leon had ever seen came to the middle of the runway, causing the whole audience to gasp in awe. The man had muscles that were just begging to be touched, his blonde hair was down and wet, and the color was one that could rival the sun and his eyes…oh, those eyes…were the most brilliant blue Leon had ever seen.

_We can get down like there's no one around._

_We'll keep on rocking._

_We'll keep on rocking._

And his present began to dance. Other strippers came out from the ceiling in cages and gift wrapping, but Leon only had eyes for the man who was sliding and licking the pole like it was a….well, a very sensitive male body part. One that was already hard and ready on Leon.

_Cameras are flashing my way._

_Dirty dance._

_And they keep watchin._

_Keep watchin._

It seemed his present only had eyes for him as well. Perhaps it was part of his job as his object of affection, but somehow there was this electricity between them. The guy began to strip off his pants, still staring directly at Leon, and licked his lips. Leon growled. Oh, this guy who _so _asking to be fucked.

_Feels like the crowd is saying..._

When the pants were off, and all that remained was a simple blue thong, Leon already knew he had to have him. He wasn't even aware of Yuffie staring at him, or the crowd going wild for _his_ present. All that he was focused on was the stripper who was somehow bringing out a part of him that he thought was gone.

_Gimme gimme more. Gimme more. Gimme gimme more._

And suddenly, he was holding his present's ass in his hands. Leon blinked up at him. Whoa…this guy was much more…fragile looking up close. Not fragile as in he thought he might break, but a much more elegant sexy. It turned him on.

_Gimme gimme more. Gimme more. Gimme gimme more._

"I'm Cloud." The guy, Cloud, whispered in his ear as he ran his hands over Leon's length. Leon tightened his jaw. He was_ not_ going to come in front of all of these people. And this Cloud guy…he was giving him a_ damn_ good lap dance.

"You come here often?" Cloud asked casually, arching into him. Leon growled under his breath. If this guy was only here to give him a lap dance, why was he chatting him up?

"No." Leon said gruffly. Cloud paused for a second, but then he was right back to grinding into him.

"You don't seem to like me very much, Leon." Cloud pointed out, breathing on Leon's neck. Leon couldn't help it; he let out a moan. Cloud seemed to smile in victory.

"You're only here to strip, correct?" Leon retorted gruffly, shutting his eyes when Cloud began to lick behind his ear. That was the most sensitive part on his body.

"Aah!" Leon moaned fairly loudly. Cloud chuckled slightly against it and ran his hands down Leon's hard chest, placing butterfly kisses against the spot. Leon covered his mouth to block out the streams of moans preparing to erupt.

"So, would it be completely inappropriate for me to ask you if I can buy you a drink?" Cloud murmured against his neck, pausing to hear an answer. Leon blinked in surprise. Wha…?

_I just can't control myself._

"Why?" Leon wanted to know, sounding a little suspicious. Sure, he knew he was very attractive, and he was successful. Women and men asked him out loads of times before. But it was never this intimate. It was never this…hot.

"You're ridiculously sexy, and it feels like gravity. I'm so attracted to you it hurts." Cloud answered, running his hands in Leon's hair. But his hands…they were shaking.

_Mo- Mo- Mo- Mo...MORE._

"Yes, it would be completely inappropriate." Leon answered. Cloud sighed in disappointment and began to get off of him. Leon shook his head and grabbed Cloud's hips, forcing him back down on his lap.

"But frankly, I don't give a damn."

_They want more? Well I'll give them more, aww!_

It wasn't long before Leon was fucking Cloud in every way. And they never did have those drinks.

* * *

It wasn't until morning that Leon realized he was never really all that drunk. Cloud was sleeping quietly in his arms, so it wasn't like he could just leave. Besides…did he really want to? 

They were lying in Leon's king-sized bed in his giant mansion in the outskirts in Destiny Island. And it was funny…the house had never seemed so big before but now that he actually had someone here with him…he realized that he didn't want to be alone in it.

And Cloud…oh, sweet, shy Cloud. He didn't seem so shy and quiet in the club, but once he got in his pants, Cloud was so hesitant and nervous that he couldn't help but melt a little. Leon would never admit this to anyone, but, last night…he never really fucked Cloud. They made love.

There was a huge difference.

"Leon…?" Cloud asked groggily, opening his eyes slowly. Leon felt something strange bang in his heart. Maybe he was just hungry.

"Yeah, I'm still here, I didn't leave." Leon answered softly, combing his hands through Cloud's hair. It was spiky again. Cloud smiled and sighed in content.

"Good. I don't want to leave either." Cloud murmured, snuggling deeper into Leon's bare chest. Leon gave him a soft look before turning over to the clock. It was noon. Hmm…he had a meeting in thirty minutes.

"Cloud, I hate to do this but, I have to get to a meeting. It's pretty important." Leon whispered in his ear. Cloud nodded in disappointment, but he sat up anyway.

"What time is it? You have a meeting this early?" Cloud said in amusement, leaning over Leon to see the time. His eyes bugged out of his head.

"It's NOON! Sephiroth gets off work at one! I've got to go- oh no, Riku! I'll bet he's worried sick about me! We were supposed to move out today! Now we'll have to wait a couple of days, and he's going to hate me! I have to get back! Oh shit, my car! I left it at the club!" Cloud continued to ramble as he shot out of bed and hurried to put his clothes on. Leon propped up on his elbows and smirked at him.

"Can I see you again?" Leon asked him, still smirking and letting his bangs fall into his eyes. Cloud looked over at him and paused. A slight blush covered Cloud's face and he blinked a little.

"S-Sure! Here, I'll give you my number." Cloud fished in his pocket for a small business card and tossed it over to Leon. He caught it.

"Alright, that's all I needed. I'll give you a ride. Let me just take a quick shower, and we'll be out of here."

Perhaps the most surprising thing to Leon, however, was that when he dropped Cloud off by his car, the blonde leaned in and gave him a sweet, short kiss. And the big shock was that…he missed him from the second he closed the door.

**Now**

"We're here." Leon told Cloud, nudging him gently. Cloud and Riku both stirred at the same time, unaware that they had just been cuddling a second ago. They were parked in front of Cloud's new apartment, where they were staying until "Sephiroth cools down and realizes that he needs me, dammit!" as Cloud said.

"Thank you so much, Leon." Cloud smiled at him, taking his hand. Riku rolled his eyes and shoved by them. "Thanks Leon." Riku mimicked before slamming into the apartment. Cloud looked at him apologetically.

"Sorry. He's still a little sensitive because of Sora. He really is a good kid." Cloud explained quietly. Leon just nodded and brought Cloud's hand to his lips.

"I'll miss you."

Cloud blushed, and peered up at him shyly. "I think I'll miss you too."

As Cloud exited the car and waved, Leon sat back in the limo seat, letting out a sigh. The limo driver, John, chuckled from the front seat.

"That Cloud and Riku are something, aren't they? Where to next?"

Leon prepared to tell him until a flyer caught his eye. He picked it up. A party, huh? For the little jerk-off Riku, huh? That probably meant Cloud would be there. Hmm…this could work in his favor.

He really didn't mind all that much that Cloud had a significant other. Just the fact that he still wanted Leon around after cheating on that other with him told him that Cloud felt something for him. And for now, that's all he needed.

He would claim Cloud's heart.

"To Yuffie's house."

**In the case of a 34 year old guardian**

"What is Cloud doing?"

"Oh, Sephiroth, why don't you just come down and see him? I know you miss him."

"I have not done anything to indicate this."

"I can just tell, Seph. Come on! I miss you, Aerith misses you, Sunny misses you, and I'm pretty sure Cloud misses you too!"

"Zack…how is Riku?"

"…Well, I haven't had a chance to see him yet, but there's a big welcome back party for him over at Kairi's. Remember her? She was the little girl who always came over and asked if he could play. We used to think she was the most annoying little girl in the world."

"Oh yes. Her. And the other two?"

"Roxas and Sora? I'm pretty sure they're still pissed off at him for leaving."

"Oh."

"Sephiroth, I'm not going to beg, but come on! You know the party will be fun! And you're my best friend…I haven't seen you in three years since you freaking eloped with Cloud. I miss you."

"…"

"Please."

"Fine. But only to see how you are doing."

"Yes! The party is tomorrow at six!"

"I'll be there."

**In the case of a 16 year old party planner**

"Okay Riku, remember. All you have to do is show up at Wakka's Surf Shack tomorrow morning, somehow distract Sora until five o'clock, and then drop him off at my house." Kairi explained to Riku as she walked him to her door. Riku nodded determinedly.

"Gotcha'. And then I change into something sexy, come back at the house around six thirty, and wait in the closet for further instructions." Riku recited. Kairi smiled happily.

"Excellent! Alright, go get some sleep. We can't be having bags under those pretty little eyes of yours!" She giggled. Riku snorted but otherwise exited the house.

Kairi watched him hop back onto his bike and pedal off with a grin. Little did Riku know that she had a little something cocked up that would surprise him as well.

* * *

**Just so you guys know...there will be two more chapters until the party chapter, which is pretty awesome if I do say so myself. So...yeah...I like reviews very much, as indicated, so I would love it if you could review as well as alert. Criticisms (sp?), things I could work on more, things you like or dislike, questions, comments...you know, just things I could use to get my act together and grow as a writer. But to those who just like to read it, thank you for following this story so far! We have a long way to go!**

**-BB**


	8. The Unemployed

**Hey, just wanted to post this before midterms. I will be a studying chica (my gender has been revealed!) tomorrow and the day after.**

**I don't actually know if lung therapy is real, but I imagine it would be kind of like how Sora describes it. But if anyone knows anything otherwise, feel free to correct me! And as indicated in the last chapter, Riku is about to ignitiate his distraction...wonder what it is: )**

**Thanks to my Reviewers MCs:**

**Kira Sakura: (Yeah...real cute...cough no, no, jk...whatever floats your boat! Welp, here's the next chappie!)**

**Colonel Roxas-chan: (She sure is! Heh. Yeah, that was my favorite one to write. Cleon!)**

**SuperFriendlySoraFan203: (Lol, yeah, I've never been to a strip bar either. Prolly real fun tho! Nope, Demy's not a ghost! ; ) )**

**Maeama (for a review on chapter 1): (Thank you! I'll keep on writing if you keep on reading!) **

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**Enter Sora:**

Do you ever feel alone? Like the world is zooming by you, and you're standing still, watching the people you love just passing through?

I have. And I'll tell you what; it is not a good feeling.

Lung therapy was crap, what else is new? All the therapist did was ask me, "Well, how does that make you feel?" the whole time, effectively pissing me off to the point of new return, and then when I blew up at her, she just blinked and said, "Well, it seems we're making progress."

Not that she would understand that, even if she was a real therapist. My mind is in such a state of confusion, jumbled conversations, and random thoughts that she'd probably go on sensory overdrive just by peeking inside.

I miss being bubbly, energetic, and just…happy. I hate how Riku's presence of absence rules my emotions so much; it's unhealthy but…it's true. And no matter how much I argue with them, the feeling of joy and happiness now that Riku is here is overpowering my anger.

All of this was swimming in my mind at once and it was out of my capacity to keep up and try not to drown.

**Wakka's Surf Shack**

So now I was here, the next day, at the Surf Shack, having just been kicked out of my house by Mom and told to "get my cute little butt to work!"

Why? Don't ask me. She seemed kind of distracted. She was calling people left and right, telling them about my "horrible predicament" and trying to get in touch with someone named Xemnas or something. Dad simply retreated in his studio to paint.

Whatever. Frankly, I don't mind coming to work that much because:

a.) it's way to depressing at home. Mom needs to learn that when something bad happens, it isn't the end of the world. It's not like I'm dying or anything.

b.) I needs that money! I'm so broke, I can't afford a gumball. Seriously, the other day Kairi and I had gone over to Circuit Shack to buy the new Justin Timberlake CD, and we started reminiscing about the good ol' days where gumballs were only twenty five cents. And then we both went, "but they _are_ twenty five cents!" So she fished out a quarter and bought one, while I…merely produced a fly from my empty pockets.

c.) Riku doesn't know I work there! Insert maniacal laugh. I'd have freedom to be myself without having to worry about Riku being there and making me feel like forgiving him. So unless Kairi told him, which she _wouldn't_, Riku would have no idea I was there!

So that's how I found myself sitting behind the counter in Wakka's Surf Shack, talking to Kairi, who had come here with me after taking care of some "business." Normally I wouldn't be able to be chatting like this, but seeing how the store was practically deserted… something about a party? I wouldn't know.

No one wants a klutz at their party.

"Oh god, what's he doing here?" Kairi groaned as I handed her a custom made LUCKY surfboard, complete with pink flowers and a long strip of white that had her name stenciled on it in cursive. But she wasn't talking about me. She was talking about the guy who just walked in Wakka's Surf Shack.

But I wasn't paying attention. I was too busy admiring my work. That surfboard was my_ life_ for two full weeks. Would you like to know why? It's because it's _Kairi's _surfboard. Kairi. The only one who loved me enough to pick up the pieces of my broken heart when Riku…anyway. That surfboard had to be the most perfect surfboard in the world of….uh, surfboards.

And the sad thing about it was that Kairi had to be the worst surfer in the world of, err…surfers.

"I'm sure you're just seeing things. I'll bet it's just…" I began but I immediately trailed off. That's when I smelled it. Rain water and papou fruit…

The guy who entered the shop was none other than Riku, the guy who had been haunting my dreams for three years. God dammit, I just couldn't get away from him!

"Just look at that tight ass! I would love to see them buns in a hot pair of briefs." Kairi commented, shaking her head and licking her lips like he was a piece of hot apple pie. My eyes widened and I turned to stare at her. What was that?!

"Kairi, I thought you went all lesbian for Yuna." I commented back, slowly starting to head for the back, where the customers couldn't go.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kairi whispered, grabbing my wrist.

I whirled on her. "Kairi, you know what happened the last time I saw him! I can't do this!" I began to hyperventilate. I couldn't help it; it was what I did when I was nervous.

"Sora, Sora, breathe….breathe." Kairi hissed, going through the breathing motion with me. I was breathing when I noticed a shadow fall over us. Kairi and I slowly looked up.

And I couldn't help it; I screamed. Like a little girl, I'm ashamed to add.

"Whoa! Calm down Sora, it's just me. Breathe. Breathe." Riku began to breathe with me too. But he was making it worse; _he_ was the reason I still wasn't cured from this.

"I'm okay. I'm fine now." I whispered, staring down at my shoes like they were the most interesting things in the world. Silence reined. I could feel Riku staring at me, and out of the corner of my eye I could see Kairi texting furiously on her cell phone, a dead give away that she was aware of the severity of our reunion. Again.

"So." Riku said, clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck.

"What do you _want_?" I snapped, but there was a hint of confusion in my voice. This was a little awkward, although I had no clue why. Lord knows Riku wasn't this shy yesterday. What could have changed him in one day? Jeez, both Kari and Riku were acting really weird.

"You…you look really good." He observed, nodding his head at me. I looked down at myself. I was wearing the Wakka's Surf Shack required uniform: a tight white collared shirt with a pair of khaki shorts, brown flip flops, and a bright blue visor. What in the world was he seeing?

Still…the compliment threw me off guard.

"Uh, thanks." I said slowly, then as an after thought, "You do too."

He really did look good. He was wearing a pair of loose blue jeans with a thin white tank top with the words, 'I'm too sexy for sleeves' on it. His hair was free and flowing, and his pretty toes were peeking from his flip flops, similar to mine.

I was blushing. I was blushing like the biggest idiot in the world.

"Thanks. So…" Suddenly a mischievous expression crossed his face, and he leaned in towards me, cracking a smirk. "I see all the kids are calling you Klutz."

Scratch my previous statement. _Now _I was blushing.

That freaking jerk! Riku hadn't changed at all!

"Haven't you noticed? Old Klutz here is a walking time bomb." Wakka laughed loudly as he emerged from the back room. "How ya' doing, Riku?"

Riku laughed and leaned back against the glass display case showing all of the little accessories you could have with your surf gear. He just looked so graceful and at ease. I envied him.

"I've been better. Some people here refuse to forgive me. Other people haven't even acknowledged I'm here. And both of them used to be my best friends." Riku mulled casually, flipping his hair. Kairi and I both gaped at him. He had his nerve!

"Riku, have you just forgotten what you did to us?!" I cried, leaning back in a frustrated rage against the glass display case. That's when it caved in and shattered, causing Riku and I to go crashing into it. Three sharp glass shards stabbed me in my left arm.

"Shit, Sora! You _are _a walking time bomb!" Riku exclaimed, dusting himself off. Kairi had somehow snuck off in the chaos, and Wakka was screeching like a hump back whale had just landed on his house.

"Klutz, I told you three strikes and you're out! That was strike three!" Wakka shouted, retreating into the back room to gather up my things. "Even Tidus wasn't this bad!"

Of course not. Tidus had onlymade-out with every customer that entered the store.

Wakka thrust my stuff into my arms and Riku watched with amusement as I attempted to ease over the situation.

"Wakka. Home dog! Let's talk about this! We're both adults here!" I pointed out reasonably. Riku laughed and I shot a glare in his direction. Not helping.

"The only adult here is me, and as your elder, I'm firing you. And don't ever call me home dog again!" With that, the door to Wakka's Surf Shack was shut in my face, and my ass had successfully been kicked out the door.

Riku came out not too long after. He grinned down at me.

"So…look's like you're unemployed." He noted, holding out a hand to help me up. I took it without thinking, and instantly hated myself for it. I gave him another cold glare to compensate. He just laughed again.

"Sora, your glares are like pouts. You're just too cute." He chuckled. I fumed. Did all he do now was laugh?!

"Whatever. You would know. I haven't glared this much since Steve was replaced with Joe on Blue's Clues." I growled, beginning to walk back to my house. Riku only laughed harder but with a little jog he caught back up to me, grabbing my arm to stop me.

"Alright, alright, just wait." He sighed, wiping his eyes with his free hand and taking a deep breath. He grinned at my blank expression. "You look irritated." He added.

But he covered my mouth with his hand before I could retort or yell at him.

"I know, I know! Sorry; let's just chill for a second. I notice that now you're unemployed." He said in a surprisingly serious businessman voice. But what he was actually saying however- not so much.

Riku uncovered my mouth. "No shi-" I began before my mouth was covered once again. He grinned but otherwise continued.

"Which means your mom is going to be very disappointed in you." He paused to let it all sink in. I visibly paled. I forgot about that. Mom was so proud of me when I actually got a job that paid good money and one that I didn't destroy. It was a job I was genuinely good at- I would never find that again. She would be devastated- not to mention pissed.

"Exactly," Riku nodded, noting my sudden shift to depression, "but I have a proposition for you. I can pay you double what Wakka was paying you…if you let me give you what I like to call, "The Road to Awesomeness."

I just stared blankly at him.

"To put it simply, you let me give you lessons on how to be awesome and I pay you."

I continued to stare blankly at him. Was this some kind of joke?

Riku eyed me hesitantly. "I know what you're thinking: is this some kind of joke?"

My eyes widened. How did he know?!

"-But it's like I said before; I_ will_ earn your forgiveness. I realize now that everything doesn't come as easily as I want it to. And that's something that I have to come to terms with. In the meantime, Sora, I need you to give me a chance. All I need is one chance."

I folded my arms and turned away from him. It was so hard to say no to Riku. It was hard when I first met him, it was hard three years ago, and it was hard now. I like to think I'm a pretty strong person, but…

Riku has always been a weakness of mine. But this didn't mean I wasn't still mad at him.

"Well…Mom would be pretty pissed…" I trailed off, looking up at him. "You're paying me, right?"

Riku couldn't hide that annoyingly perfect grin that lit up his entire face.

And what's more….

I think I may have melted.

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**Good distraction, Riku. :rolls eyes: Okay, so next chapter we have Riku's POV of the "Road to Awesomeness" and then the PAR-TEH! And after that, I'll probably end part one like I said I would about three chappie's ago or something, and then we'll get into the "plot" of the story. Action! Adventure! Romance! **


	9. The Road to Awesomeness

**This is a looooong chapter! And a very fun one, if I do say so myself. And practically in time for Valentine's Day! And, yeah, okay, so in the story it's September...but who's counting?**

**Step Up 2 is coming out tomorrow. I'm so excited!!!!**

**It was raining ice earlier where I live. I ended up getting a two hour delay, which, in theory would make me real happy. But I barely even noticed because I was sick! My throat, even now, is killing me! I had to take freaking Nyquil, which if taken in quantity, is nasty as HECK! But it's what I deserve since I don't like taking pills, so...it's all cause and effect.**

**:Edit: (sorry, my comp got all screwed up and erased some of my replies. so anyone that I missed when i first posted this, here you go) Mah reviewers (I love all you guys! You have no clue how happy you all made me! Thank you so much!):**

**SuperFriendlySoraFan203: (Yeah, I mean, what's the deal with that? Did he get fired? Or did he really go to collage like they said? I'm curious. Lol, Riku to the Rescue! Like Diego!)**

**ArosxIrukxOxarsxLeax: (It's coming, it's coming! Thank you for reviewing!)**

**midnightvisions: (Oh yeah, it's total compensation. Hehe, Justin Timberlake...what do you expect, he's bring sexyback!)**

**Scootkadoot: (Thanks a bunch!)**

**Mentally Insane Fangirl: (Heh, I gotta love him, though. Thanks for reviewing!)**

**Kira Sakura: (I wanna go too! A piece of sand? What kind of sand, Kira? Some pieces of sand are huge, you know! Seriously! No, not seriously, I'm just playing. :D)**

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Enter Riku:**

I will be the first to admit it.

Sora…is a klutz.

Maybe I'm a little slow on the uptake, but I guess I was so distracted with trying to convince everyone of something that I hadn't observed any of the changes in them. I guess this is as good a time as ever to really observe Sora closer.

Well, first of all, he's as clumsy as they come, we all know that. We were standing in the middle of the actual island of Destiny Island, called Papou Island, due to all of the Papou fruit that hung from the palm trees, and Sora can barely stand up on his own without tripping over some invisible object. God forbid if there was an actual object lying there…

"Are you still surfing?" I asked him curiously. Maybe he had stopped surfing. That would explain things, seeing as how most surfers, like me, have really good balance and grace in whatever they do. But Sora just nodded his head nonchalantly.

"What kind of question is that, Riku? Of course I surf! Surfing is my _life_." Sora pointed out, but at least he didn't snap at me this time. He said it with the air of someone who was really, really relaxed. And then he fell on his ass.

Okay, so it isn't because of a lack of daily surf. But what else could be causing his clumsiness? I don't actually think it's because of his health…so what could it be?

"Riku…? Riku, hey man, I uh, I can't get up." Sora called out miserably from the ground. Sora's shoelace had gotten tangled with a twig sticking out from a palm tree and his head had somehow gotten buried in the sand all the way up to his neck.

I slapped myself.

This might be harder than I thought.

**Lesson One: If a klutz, one should always be sure to correct said problems in ****vocals, ****balance and grace**

"As you know, you have really, really bad balance. I mean, frankly, your balance sucks." I declared, calmly tying a cloth over his eyes. Sora made a whiny sound in the back of his throat.

"Don't say it like that! And why am I being blindfolded anyway?" Sora wanted to know, sniffing a little bit. I chuckled and patted him on his head.

"Because," I said with a happy grin, "You're going to dodge traffic!"

"Riku," Sora said seriously, "don't make me hurt you."

I laughed. "As long as you do it with a blindfold!"

_Ten minutes and a bruise later_

"R-Riku, what does this have to do with balance?" Sora asked me nervously as cars and trucks whirled by us. That stopped me. Oh. I guess it really didn't have to do with balance. I shrugged. Oh well.

"I don't know; I saw it on a movie. But that's not the point! The point is, I'm paying you to be awesome, and that's what you're going to be! And the only way you will be is getting some balance, and you can only get that from dodging these cars!" I explained in one breath. There was silence.

"Seriously Riku, when did you get this stupid?" Sora asked flatly. Ouch! An invisible arrow stabbed me in my heart and I feel to the ground with a heartfelt _thump!_

"My dear Kiwi, you're breaking my heart!" I exclaimed. Sora scoffed but nonetheless blindly helped me back up to my feet. I could tell he really thought he'd hurt my feelings. Aw…Kiwi was so sweet.

"Well, what are you waiting for? The traffic's not just going to dodge itself." I pointed out after a moment of silence. I peered over at him. He was shaking!

"Come on, Sora! We used to do this all the time as kids!" I said impatiently, kind of wanting to dodge the traffic as well. It used to be so much fun, risking our lives together.

Suddenly Sora ripped off the blindfold and threw it to the ground in an angry rage. "What the- no way am I dodging traffic! We're not kids anymore, Riku!"

I sighed. Lord knows that was true. Fine. I didn't want to have to do this, but if he planned on being an uncooperative fruit today, I was going to have to bring out my secret weapon.

* * *

**Lucky High, courtyard**

"_Cheerleading_? You're going to make me do _cheerleading_?!" Sora exclaimed as he clutched my arm in fear. The girls on the squad were doing flip after flip and handstand after handstand with perfect grace. Oh yeah, this was a great idea.

"Why not? Those girls are coordinated, responsible, and, frankly, ridiculously hot!" I pointed out enthusiastically. Sora stared at them blankly with, now, an annoyed expression on his face. Finally he smirked at me.

"I see you're still bi."

"And I see you're still completely gay."

I grinned; I guess some things never change. Taking Sora's hand, which he avidly tried to shake out of, I led him towards the cheering girls, plastering on my most charming and disarming grin.

The captain of the squad, a big breasted, big haired senior named Becky Blecks was clapping to the beat of their routine, swinging her little ass back and forth as she counted.

And I know Sora was staring at me, no doubt seeing if I found her attractive. Which, no, I didn't; I'm not interested in plastic. I like my love interests to be a little more real. Like Kiwi.

"Alr_iii__ight! _Great job, chi-cas!" She shouted and all the girls began to clap and cheer. I snorted and clapped slowly, gaining the girls, and more importantly, Becky's, attention.

"Sweet. You girls will be at nationals in no time. Well, with a little more practice, that is." I declared, winking. The other cheerleaders were staring at me and whistling, and something in my chest panged. And now we were back to the beauty thing again. I tightened my grip on Sora's hand.

"Ri-ku! When you said you were coming over, I didn't know it meant to-day!" Becky exclaimed, causing me to wince at the sheer volume. Jeez, she reminded me of a ten year old Selphie.

That is, until she saw Sora.

"Oh my gawd! Klutz! Ri-ku, I didn't know you knew Klutz!" Becky screamed, grabbing me and Sora's hands and pulling us into the ring of cheerleaders.

"Girls, this is Ri-ku, as we all know," Pause for giggling, "and Klutz. You know, the kid who always breaks things."

Kiwi blushed.

"Now, now, let's not bring up the past. In fact, good old Klutz here is trying to turn a new leaf. He's thinking about joining your squad to get some better balance." I explained, wrapping an arm around Sora's shoulders. He rolled his eyes but played along.

"I sure am! Hopefully you'll let me on the squad?" He asked, blinking his adorable blue eyes up at them. Becky looked torn. Between his adorable face and my sexy demeanor, this couldn't be an easy decision for her.

"But, Ri-ku, what if Klutz is….well, a klutz?" She asked, biting on her lower lip.

I grinned sexily and peered at her beneath my eyelashes. "Well you'll just have to use that beautiful body to train him, now won't you?"

**-Vocals**

Becky: One, two, three, four! The other team is such a bore!

Sora: One, two, three, four…um, what was the line again?

Becky: (sighing) The other team is such a bore.

Sora: Right. The other team is such a bore!

Becky: You have to say it all together.

Sora: One, two, three, four! The other team is such a bore!

Everyone else: Yay! He finally got it! Go Klutz! Yeah!

Sora: Oh yeah! I'm the _man!_

Me: Kiwi, we just wasted thirty minutes on that cheer. You haven't even learned the movements yet.

Sora: …

Injuries: Sora's throat and Becky's sanity.

Attempts: I'd say about ten attempts at the two line cheer. Imagine if they'd actually given him a real cheer…

Field notes: At least Kiwi didn't give up! And that's a lesson in itself.

**-Balance**

Sora: Sorry, say that again?

Co-captain Trina Hampton (equally annoying as Becky, only not as cute): A round-off. It's sim-pal! You start off like you're doing a cartwheel-

Sora: But I can't do a cartwheel.

Becky: Are you fa-real?

Sora: Sorry, I can't do it.

Trina: Fine. We'll teach you how to do a cartwheel.

So that's how I found myself basically catching Sora for the next hour and a half as he attempted to do a cartwheel. Becky would hold his body up, Trina would tilt his legs, and somehow he still managed to fall into my arms. Truth be told, I was starting to wonder if he was doing it on purpose just to cop a feel with me, which, hey, I wouldn't mind, but when he started to look like he was about to cry, I realized he seriously had zero balance.

Injuries: Trina got a black eye from Kiwi accidentally kicking her in the face, Becky got rub burn from continually being jerked on her knees when Sora would fall, the other cheerleaders probably got a broken rib from laughing so much, Kiwi probably damaged his pride, and as for me…I think Kiwi being in my arms is a blessing. So I have no complaints.

Attempts: Too many to count.

Field notes: Sora was trying so hard to get it that I almost felt pity for him. He still couldn't do one by the time Trina and Becky gave up, but I could tell Kiwi was catching on. He managed to at least do a hand stand for a few seconds before he injured someone.

**-Grace**

Becky: Because we have a few injuries in our squad, our final lesson for today is going to be on grace. We'll do it in here.

Sora: Are we even supposed to be in here?

All the cheerleaders, Sora and I were sitting in the teacher's lounge, holding small children's sized tea cups in our hands. Becky and Trina decided that, in order to give the girls a break, we would practice eloquence and grace by following the ideals of our founders and blah, blah, blah. All I know is that they gave us free tea and cookies.

Trina: Now you take a dainty sip, slowly and gently place the tea cup in the saucer, and reach fluidly for a cookie.

Sora: 'Fluidly?'

Me: What the hell does _that_ mean?

Becky: Like a dancer, kinda. Like, do it, like, with grace.

Sora: But I thought that's what you were teaching me. How am I supposed to do it if I don't know it?

Random Cheerleaders Who Were Beyond Tired: Just do it!

Sora reached for his tea cup slowly and raised it to his lips. Trina nodded encouragingly. Then Sora proceeded to take the loudest sip I'd ever heard. It was so loud, I'm sure Voldemort heard it. And he doesn't even have ears.

"What the-, that was the rudest sip I have, like, ever heard!" Becky squealed, as the other girls began to giggle. Even Trina was chuckling behind her white handkerchief. Sora smiled sheepishly and tried to place the cup back on the saucer, but his elbow slipped on the table and he missed, pouring it all down his shirt.

"Hehe…oops?" He laughed hesitantly, glancing up at Becky with a look similar to the one a little kid gives his mom after he breaks something. Becky sighed deeply.

"Alright, let's try this again."

Injuries: Maybe the tea cup. It got tossed and slammed around so much even_ I_ felt bad for it.

Attempts: Hmm…twenty? Minimum.

Field notes: Finally, Kiwi managed to take a dainty sip, gently placed it back on the tea cup and_ fluidly_ reached for a cookie.

**My sexy silver eclipse (it's a car)**

"I'm so glad I brought some extra clothes with me." Sora commented, looking fresh and clean in his outfit change. I smirked and continued driving.

"Right."

"Ugh! Stop doing that!" Sora cried, twisting in his seat to glare at me. I quickly shot him a confused look before returning my eyes to the road. What was he talking about?

"Doing what?"

"Acting like you don't have anything to say to me! Y-you big jerk!" He shouted, whipping back around to his seat. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Sometimes Kiwi was just too much. But I would answer nonetheless.

"I don't know what to say to you." I admitted honestly, and it was true. He was freaking mad at me! I don't know how to act around him that won't push me deeper into a hole. Its nerve wracking…but I didn't know Sora caught on to that.

"O-okay." Kiwi sighed quietly, glancing back out the window. Now, I know that if someone were to take a picture of my face right now, it would say WTF. But I would let it go for now. Sometimes when you push someone too much, you lose them. And I want to keep Kiwi forever.

* * *

**2. On the road to awesomeness, one should always look ridiculously good-looking.**

"Now this, Sora, is called a thrift store. It's a place you can come to get really awesome accessories and clothes for little to nothing!" I explained to Sora as we stood in front of Nifty Thrifty in Old Destiny Dominion in the downtown area. He turned to me with a pissy expression on his cute little face.

"Are you implying that my clothes suck?" He demanded, looking down at himself. I followed his gaze with a smirk. A puke green hoodie and a pair of corduroy khaki pants. And it was only September. I gave him a sarcastic look.

"I'm not implying it. I'm saying it. Sora, your clothes suck." I replied, patting him on the back. He scowled and opened his mouth to no doubt insult me even further than he has already has today, but I covered it. "But that's okay; this is what I'm here for, Kiwi."

He frowned even deeper. "And stop calling me that!

I opened the door and pushed him inside, loving the little whimper that ripped out of him in surprise. Those were the little sounds he used to make whenever Roxas and I punked him and made a trick on him- and there was something so comforting about knowing that Sora hadn't changed completely.

But his clothes- yeah, those would have to go pronto.

Inside was like the inside of a treasure chest, or at least that's what it seemed to me. Sora had his little nose scrunched up, but…he didn't know what he wanted. Good old Riku would take care of it.

I led him through the racks of clothes and necklaces and belts to a whole section of hats near the back of the store. Real World by Matchbox Twenty was playing in the background, and the clerk behind the counter, some beautiful teen with red eyes and a killer hair cut, was staring at us, but I wasn't paying attention, nor did I care.

I was focused on the task at hand- which was finding Sora a kick ass outfit.

"Remember, the right hat can enhance a man's outfit so well, that the outfit in question may be completely transformed." I pointed out with the stiffening of my finger. "Let's take a look."

Sora put on the first hat begrudgingly and we both observed the effect in the mirror.

"Too boring." I commented.

"Too painful!" Sora cried, ripping the hat off from his head. "That hat was like, three times too small!"

"Maybe your head is just three times too big." I offered, earning myself a growl and a smack on the back of my head. I grinned and placed the Ed Hardy Triple Hearts Specialty Hat back on the shelf. I plucked a blue beanie off instead, placing it over his spikes.

Once more we observed.

"It's…I dunno, it looks cute on you but…it's not _you_."

"I look like Seifer."

I frowned. The way he said that guy's name made my blood boil. Obviously Sora didn't like this guy, which was making me assume this 'Seifer' character had done something to him. And that was just not going to fly. "Who's Seifer?"

Sora scoffed. "This class act jerk who finds pleasure in bullying kids like me and Roxas. The sad thing is that he gets away with it, just because he's the head of the Disciplinary Committee. I swear, once my clumsiness is gone, I'm going to beat him to-"

I held up one hand and made a little noise like a car swerving. "Back up. You said he was bullying you and Roxas?"

Sora took off the beanie and placed it back on the shelf. "Uh huh. He had stopped bullying Roxas for a while; because Roxas is one hell of a fighter and everything, but now that Axel and Roxas can't get in anymore fights-they'd be expelled- Seifer has taken advantage of getting revenge. And as for me, well, I _can_ fight, as we both know, but this clumsiness has gotten so bad that I can't get even get in one lick without falling to the ground."

I clenched my jaw. Oh no. Oh _hell_ no. I _know_ this guy wasn't messing with the two most important people in my life.

"Kiwi…just where can I find this Seifer?" I asked slowly, balling up my fists to hold back my anger. Sora paused in his hat searching to turn and stare at me with a panicked look.

"Riku, _no_. Nothing good will come out of beating him up like that. Roxas tried that and almost got expelled. Do you want that to happen to you?" Sora cried, hugging a black cap to his chest. I watched him and my expression softened. So he _did_ care.

"Honestly? I wouldn't care as long as I got to defend you and Roxas' honor." I admitted, running a hand through my hair. He sighed loudly and glared at me.

"Fine. Do what you want; I don't care." He seethed, angrily pulling on the cap. I let a small smile creep onto my face. He was in such a state of denial…but as for that hat…

"That hat is so perfect." I gushed, grinning at his reflection in the mirror. He stared at it and allowed a smile onto his face.

"I kind of like it too. It says here that it's an," he paused to look at the hat, "Dark Hearts Design." The hat was white on one side, with a strange black heart design on it with white vine like lines strewn into it, and on the other side it was completely black, with a white heart that looked almost so pure it hurt. It was perfect for him.

"Well, whoever made it knew what they were doing. We're getting it."

I let him hold onto the hat as I led him to the clothes.

"Now the clothes are the base of the bridge when it comes to the outfit. This is like the foundation to a house. Screw this up, and the entire effect is ruined, no matter how hot the hat and accessories look." I made clear, pausing as a pair of black baggy shorts caught my eye. "Here, go try these on."

Sora made a skeptical face. "Are you sure? They're so…shiny."

"Of course! That's the look we're going for! New, hot and shiny! Oh, and this tank top goes great with it." I placed the blue tank on top of the pants, grinning to myself. He was going to look so sexy.

I browsed around the store as Sora disappeared into the dressing room, stopping at the rack of belts. Yeah, his outfit would need tons of them.

"Yellow." A voice worthy of voice acting spoke up from behind me, causing me to jump in surprise.

"Excuse me?" I breathed, my chest heaving from all the excitement. Then I blinked. It was the clerk from behind the counter who was staring at us earlier.

"The yellow belts will look stunning with the outfit you gave him." The clerk explained, tossing me the two belts. She slung her hip out and rested her hand on it. "You're the new kid I keep hearing so much about. It's Riku, right?"

I grinned and slung the belts on my other arm, freeing a hand. I extended it towards her. "Yeah, that's me. And you are?"

She took it with a smirk. "Paine. I'm a friend of the little fashion victim you have over there."

My grin turned into a smile. "Yeah? Well, any friend of Kiwi is a friend of mine."

Paine cocked an eyebrow and folded her arms, leaning against the wall. "Is that so? Well, Riku, excuse me for being so inquisitive, but aren't you getting a little too ahead of yourself? By what I hear, he's been trying to get away from you ever since you came back. And surely Roxas can't be helping matters."

I resisted the urge to scowl. She didn't know what the hell she was talking about. She didn't even know what happened.

"Don't look at me like that, Riku, I'm just calling it like I see it from a non-object third party. But I will let you know now. Any wrongs you do onto Sora, you will henceforth do onto me, do you understand? Sora was my light for a long time…he's a light for a lot of us. So you just make sure that all of your intentions are good." Paine warned me with a threatening hitch in her flat, monotonic voice.

I eyed her evenly. "I assure you my intentions are crystal."

I appreciated that Sora's friends cared about him, really I did…but unless it was Kairi or Roxas, the only two of which who knew the whole story, I had no reason to be the bad guy in their eyes. And if I was…well, I can't say that I have any motive to be nice or even polite to them. Still. They were Kiwi's friends, and I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate me being rude to them. So, plastering on a fake grin, I bowed to Paine.

"But thank you for caring, m'lady."

Paine snorted and tossed me a small black jacket and three plastic baggies full of big red pockets as she turned around. "Give these to Sora. They'll complete his look."

I watched her walk away. At the time I didn't realize that she was right…in more ways than one.

* * *

"I can't believe that this whole outfit only cost us twenty bucks!"

"I can't believe you didn't let me see said outfit when you were finished trying it on."

We had finished shopping for his awesome outfit (one he wouldn't let me see him in) and after we finished paying, had decided that food was the next best option. We would continue our lessons at another time. And whenever I got some more money.

So far I paid for the outfit, then lesson one and two, both of which cost fifty dollars each, since I doubled the ante. If I wanted to continue doing this, I was seriously going to have to commit. I had to find a job!

Which, truthfully, wouldn't be too difficult; I was a job magnet.

But anyway. Now we were headed to a little seventies diner- not the Hollow Connection, neither of us wanted to risk running into Axel (Sora didn't because he didn't want Roxas to find out, and I didn't because Axel still thought that I had no ties to Sora whatsoever)- called Sunset Horizons to get some man chow.

Unfortunately, we happened to run into some serious hotties on our way there. And I couldn't be rude to them, now could I?

Sometimes I really hate myself when I get like this. All of this grinning and flirting is making me sick. And Kiwi is watching me with a suddenly sullen and blank expression; I'm ruining our day. But it's like, once I start, I can't stop.

Still…that's probably strike two in Sora's eyes.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

**Kairi's House, her backyard**

Kairi would be the first one to admit it: She was scared. Sometimes it felt like she was always scared, all the time. She was scared of what people would say once they found out she was a lesbian…err, bi…? She was scared that she was losing her best friend to something she couldn't control, like his health. She was scared that she would end up alone and forgotten, while Sora and Riku, and Roxas and Axel, spent the rest of their lives engrossed in each other. She was scared of spiders; she was scared of death, but most of all she was scared of failing.

So as she stood in front of the fairly large group of people who knew Sora and Riku, the realization that she could fail made her pause in her well thought out speech. And when she opened her cherry red lips to speak again, the entire plan that she had formulated in her mind…was gone.

And this is why she would be the first one to admit that, heck yes, she was scared!

"I'm sorry, what was I saying again?" Kairi asked the group nervously, all of which were spread out on miscellaneous pieces of lawn furniture. Kairi knew that every single person here that she had invited had great importance to the entire plan, so when Axel raised his hand and said, "I think you were offering to go in the house and get us some beer," she had to restrain herself from throwing a lawn gnome at his head.

"You were saying that you think Sora's emotions are tied in directly with his health." Namine told her shyly, fiddling embarrassedly with her red hair pin when everyone looked at her in surprise. Tidus leaned over to Wakka with an amazed chuckle.

"Dude, I thought she was mute!"

"No way, man, I heard she had an extended case of laryngitis!"

Axel raised his hand again, and this time it was Rikku who had a problem with his outspokenness. But of course she would, she had to live with it every day.

"Unless you have something relevant and respectful to say, don't even think about opening your mouth, otherwise I'll have to get all Mission Time on your butt with YPR!" Rikku challenged him, turning to "YPR" for confirmation.

"That's correct!" Yuna nodded enthusiastically, while Paine, who had just finished her shift at Nifty Thrify, merely shrugged her shoulders with a, "Whatever."

Axel raised a bemused eyebrow at them in disbelief, before turning back to Kairi with what could only be described as now an agitated expression.

"Explain to me again why Roxas couldn't come." He wanted to know, pouting slightly in disappointment. Kairi sighed and clasped her hands behind her back, wondering just when she was going to convince them to deceive Sora and Riku.

"He's part of the plan, silly. We need Roxas if we're going to help Sora's health." She explained, now turning to Selphie. The brunette girl jumped at the sudden attention.

"Jeez, Kairi, don't just startle me like that!" Selphie cried, holding her heaving chest. Tidus and Wakka laughed loudly at her expression, but Kairi cut off Selphie before she could scream at them and successfully manage to make the rest of them all leave.

"Roxas has a weak spot for you, Selphie. Other than Axel, you're the only one who can get away with just about anything. I'm going to need you to convince him that he's not going to Riku's Welcome Back party, but _your _party." Kairi continued, watching Selphie for signs of hesitation. And of course, she saw them. Selphie looked down at her yellow socks sadly.

"I'm on Riku's side, Kairi. I'm sorry, but unless this is going to benefit Riku in some way, I can't help you."

Damn! Kairi would have to reevaluate this. Selphie was supposed to be on Team Roxas, but fine. Whatever. She would switch her with herself.

"Okay, fine. Your job will be to hang out with Riku until the plan is carried out. We can't any other girls hitting on him, or boys for that matter. Our main objective is to get Sora and Riku to _want_ to talk to the other. And for that to happen, the chemistry has to be just right."

* * *

**Enter Riku:**

I followed Sora into the seventies style diner with a grin on my face and a phone number in my hand. Although I couldn't be bothered with calling silly little ladies what with my master plan to win back Sora's trust, it was a nice ego boast. But then again, by the little pout on Sora's adorable face, it might have lost me some brownie points.

"Do you plan to leave her too? Or was I just an exception?" Sora snapped irritably, shoving me down into one of the booths. I laughed easily. Boy was Kiwi feisty! But that's okay. I kind of like a challenge, especially when it has to do with cute little blue eyed brunets named Sora!

"Sure, Kiwi, whatever you say." I chuckled. Sora scowled.

"I thought I told you not to call me that…" He muttered under his breath but I ignored him, watching his tight frame scoot into the booth across from me. I licked my lips. Why bother trying to hide it? I was still attracted to Sora like a lion was attracted to a gazelle.

Sora's cute little cheeks tinged a bright pinkish color and he immediately looked away. I smiled. Still, no matter how much I lusted after Sora, it was his trust that I wished for more than anything else in the world.

"Look, Kiwi, I-" I began, just about to pour my heart out until Sora held up a small tanned hand in front of my face. He was staring at something behind me, his blue eyes scrunched in his confusion. I turned around to see what he was looking at.

A cute little blond was seated in one of the counter seats, a dingy spiral notebook in front of him. Roxas. He wore an expression of pure concentration, and he was chewing furiously on the eraser of his pencil. What could he be writing?

I turned back to Sora, and by the looks of his wrinkled little nose, he was wondering the exact same thing. We looked at each other.

"I'm going to go talk to him." Sora announced, starting to get up, but I reached out for him and pulled him back down.

"Don't do that!" I hissed, pulling him under the booth with me. Sora looked mystified.

"Why not…?" He demanded, folding his arms. As he did, his arm bumped into the table and sent the silverware tumbling down and unfolding from its napkin. A fork stabbed me in my opened palm. I simply stared at it.

"Ouch." I marveled, holding up my now bleeding hand. Sora's eyes went wide and he opened his mouth to no doubt scream for help, but I silenced him with my other hand. Immediately I wished I hadn't. The feel of Sora's soft, pliable lips against my fingers was enough to send my blood pumping through my veins and down to lower parts of my body.

I retracted it almost instantly and resisted the urge to follow my hand with my own lips.

"If you go get help, Roxas will see you!" I exclaimed, shaking off my turned on…ness. Sora stared at me some more.

"So?"

"So…" I started, pulling the fork out with a grunt, "If he sees us, his secret will be revealed! We'll have to figure out what's in the notebook, Riku Style."

Sora blinked once. Then twice. Then a third time. Suddenly his chest started heaving up and down and he began to hyperventilate.

"Sora! Breathe! Breathe. Breathe…" We breathed together for a while until Sora's breathing went back to normal. I gave him an odd look.

"What are you so nervous about, Kiwi? It's just me." I said softly, running my palm down his cheek. Sora relaxed into to it, his blue eyes closed and his lips parted. I smiled. He wanted me to kiss him.

But just as I was about to grant his wish, his eyes popped open and his body jerked away from me. He looked away and sniffed.

"What's the-what's Riku Style?" He asked instead. I grinned.

Alright then. If Sora still wasn't ready for this, I would wait.

But I would wait…

Riku Style.

**Agent: Kuey (Scratch the **_**Mission Impossible**_** theme. Give me **_**Bond. **__**James Bond)**_

**Past experience: Successfully managed to make Agent Kiwi laugh. Managed to endure crazy ass fan girls. Managed to get freaking stabbed by a fork.**

**Mission: Agent Kuey along with the help of Agent Kiwi must discover what is being created by Agent Rocky without getting caught. They must successfully carry out their plan without being captured and neutered alive.**

Sora was staring blankly over at me. "Why are you talking to yourself?"

"Agent Kuey to Agent Kiwi, over." I announced clearly and quietly, ignoring Sora's last question.

"And why do we have walkie-talkies, I'm right next to you. Where did you even get these?"

"Don't question the master, over. Oh, and Agent Kiwi didn't say over, over."

"Agent Kiwi thinks this is lame, over."

"Agent Kuey thinks ponies are lame, but that doesn't stop him from having a My Little Pony lunchbox, over. Now focus. Over."

"My little pony…? Never mind, I don't want to know. What's the plan? Over."

The plan, as I whispered to Sora, would include a skateboard, a camera and a lot of free sea salt ice cream.

* * *

I was ready for action. 

"Agent Kuey to Agent Kiwi, over."

"Agent Kiwi here, waiting for the signal, over." Sora responded back, his voice sounding static-y and cute over the walkie-talkie. I stifled an excited squeal. Kiwi was actually getting into this! But why not? Sora and I had gotten into a lot of adventures back in the day. Why was this any different?

Because you hurt him, Riku. Don't forget _that._

"I _said,_ Agent Kiwi is waiting for the signal, over!" Came Sora's impatient voice from the other side of the machine. I shook off my incoming depression with a firm slam. Get your head in the game, Riku!

A couple gave me a frightened look as they passed by me on their way out.

"The Rocky is perched in the garden, I repeat, the Rocky is perched in the garden. Over and out." I finished, having successfully given Sora our signal. He was quietly hiding in a bush across from where Roxas was sitting, prepared to cause his distraction. I, on the other hand, was dressed in a waiter's uniform, prepared to refill Roxas' drink, if you get my drift, but currently I was perched under a table, ready to sprint when the time required it.

Oh, and it would. Require it, I mean.

But now I had to focus. Kiwi was about to initiate our plan.

"Hey ROCKS ASS! I bet you can't do three varial kick flips in a row!" Sora shouted out across the whole restaurant, slamming a black and blue skateboard onto the floor. Roxas' whole body stiffened. The blonde slowly turned around to face Sora.

"I'm just going to ignore that." Roxas sighed, a scowl now present on his face. I could see Kiwi's confidence start to waver, but telepathically I encouraged him to continue. Come on Kiwi, you can do this.

"Good, 'cause you can't do it anyway! Baby!" Sora mocked, pretending to cry as a baby would do. Even from my position under the table, I could see the determined frown begin to make its way onto Roxas' face. It wouldn't be long now.

"Are you challenging me…_Klutz_?" Roxas retorted, a dark blonde eyebrow arching precariously. Sora's own eyebrow rose in defiance.

"What are the stakes?"

"Your call."

My lips curled up into a smirk in victory and I could see Sora's doing the same. "Winner gets free sea salt ice cream."

Everyone in the restaurant fell silent. We all knew Roxas was freaking psycho for sea salt ice cream…but would he take Sora's dare?

Well of course he would! I was…well, a bad influence on both Sora and Roxas growing up…perhaps my infatuation with challenges rubbed off on them. And obviously, Roxas was a great skateboarder…he would definitely win that challenge. Sora is a surfer, it's not exactly the same as skateboarding…and you know, the whole clumsy thing.

"You're on. Outside. Now." Roxas ordered, forgetting all about his notebook and following Sora out the restaurant. There was a still in the on-lookers before everyone jumped up and ran after the two, chattering excitedly amongst themselves.

The restaurant, minus the chefs behind the doors, was completely empty.

Time for action.

I crawled out from under the table and whipped out my camera from my pocket, heading over to where Roxas was sitting. There was his notebook, smiling up at me. I snapped a couple of pictures of the notebook at different angles. That way, if Sora and I felt like we needed to steal it or something for some strange reason, we would know which one it was.

Then I zoomed in to the actual words on the paper.

**_Axel's Birthday Present_**

_My gift is my song_

_And this one's for you_

_And you can tell everybody_

_That this is your song_

_It may be quite simple_

_But now that it's done_

_Hope you don't mind_

_I hope you don't mind_

_That I put down in words_

_How wonderful life is now you're in the world_

_Sat on the roof_

_And I kicked off the moss_

_Well some of the verses well_

_They got me quite cross_

_But the sun's been kind_

_While I wrote this song_

_It's for people like you that_

_Keep it turned on_

_So excuse me for forgetting_

_But these things I do_

_You see I've forgotten_

_If they're green or they're blue_

_Anyway the thing is well I really mean_

_Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen…_

The words stopped there. I snapped a picture in shock. Wow. I mean…wow. I never knew Roxas could be such a romantic. Well, geez, it's a good thing that I went undercover for this, Roxas would have never let me or Sora see this.

Axel must have no clue how much Roxas loves him. I can just tell by the awkwardness in the song; Roxas doesn't know how to handle it. I remember when we were together, there was a time period where he was awkward around me, when we first realized it was more than a crush. Before me and Sora, of course.

"Woo! Roxas!"

"You're the man!"

"Yeah, you really _do_ rock ass!"

They were coming! Oh crap! I had to get out of there! I pocketed the camera quickly and scrambled to find an exit. There was only one door in the restaurant. Damn them and their disregard to fire safety laws!

Alright, I could do this. I mean I already had a waiter's uniform on, I was already undercover. If I got out of this alive, I could use this as what _not_ to do for Sora's lessons…

Yeah. **Lesson Three:**** When deceiving, come up with a plan that's not totally and completely stupid.**

* * *

I waited nervously for my impending death. Impending death, you ask? No, not Roxas, although Roxas is quite vicious when angry as we all know. What I mean are the people of Destiny Island. Everyone here has grown up together, so anything done to someone is like a personal slap to the face for all of them. 

In my case, fortunately no one knew or knows much about it to really make a big choice on the matter. But if I ever screw around with Roxas and Sora's hearts again, it's already been decided that I would be going down.

"Sora, seriously, did you expect to beat me? I skateboard all the time, you know that."

"I don't know, Roxas. I guess I was just feeling confident and…"

"I grew up with you, Sora; I know when you're lying and when you're not. And for the past five minutes you've been lying your little butt off. Besides that, now you're injured. So just stop."

"Jeez, you don't have to be so mean about it."

"And stop pouting. Be a man."

"…meanie."

Roxas, Sora and the crowd that followed them all entered the diner once more, gossiping and talking about Sora's embarrassing fall and Roxas' amazing skateboarding tricks.

I watched from my location as Roxas made his way back to his seat, Sora now seated beside him. The blonde closed the notebook and stuffed it into his backpack, turning to Sora with a speculative look in his eyes. I knew that look to mean that Sora was about to get interrogated.

"So what's the deal with you lately?" Roxas asked, taking a sip of his Dr. Pepper. Sora looked quite confused and I had to stop myself from cooing.

"What do you mean?"

Roxas sighed and took a bite of his cheeseburger. "What I mean is," he said around the food in his mouth, "ever since Riku came back you've been acting all weird. It's beyond strange."

Sora blushed and his eyes darted around the restaurant, no doubt looking for me. "I..I, uh, no I haven't…been."

Roxas rolled his eyes and rested his head against his fist, eyeing Sora with amusement. "Right. Well I think we should stay away from him."

I chuckled at Sora's guilty expression. Too late for that, Kiwi. "Uh huh…that's probably a good idea…"

"I seriously think that it is." Roxas nodded. Then he suddenly scowled. "If only Axel would agree. I swear, for the last month he's been so distant. And now Riku sees him more than I do!"

Silence. Spoons clattered and the sound of distant conversations filled the void.

"Roxas…is that what this is really about?" Sora wanted to know, his confused expression becoming replaced by one of realization. Roxas was the one who looked confused now.

"What?"

"You're not really angry at Riku at all anymore. You don't even hate him. This is about Axel."

Roxas' eyes went as wide as saucers as he stammered and struggled to come up with a coherent defense. "Nuh uh…no, I …no way!..uh, I um…"

Sora smiled and he jumped up in smugness, a quality I'm sure he got from yours truly. "I'm right and you know it! You have a serious fear of being alone! That's why you stay with Axel even though you _know_ you can do better and even though you're _dying_ to be his boyfriend again!"

Roxas jumped up as well and shook his head fiercely, all out glaring at Sora now. "I do _not _have a fear of being alone, I don't even _deserve_ Axel, and I _sure as hell_ don't need to be his boyfriend! And as for Riku…he's an ass! An ass who-"

What Roxas was saying was true, but people were staring; it was time for me to cut in and whisk Sora away before he spoke himself into an even deeper hole.

"More Dr. Pepper?" I asked pleasantly. Sora and Roxas stared up at me.

"Sure…?" Roxas nodded hesitantly as he squinted his eyes at me. "Do I…know you?"

Of course he didn't. Right now, my name was not Riku, but Kurt. Yes, Kurt had red hair (hair that had been stained with ketchup), a black blind fold over his eyes (a blind fold that had been cut from some kid's shirt tail when he wasn't looking) and is missing his two front teeth. (Raisins- worked every time.)

"No, my name is Kurt. I just moved here from Spira. But I'd be happy to fill up your drink." I lied, blindly groping for Roxas' cup and filling it up to the brim. Sora cleared his throat.

"Uh…Kurt? You're kind of filling up his drink with water." He let me know, taking the cup and pitcher out of my hands with a nervous little chuckle. I could feel Roxas staring at me.

"Spira? Really?" Roxas asked, sounding a little suspicious. Sora and I both nodded.

"Yeah, born and raised."

"What part?"

I froze. Shit. I had no clue of the different places in Spira; I just remembered the name from Tidus' hometown when he first moved here a while back. Luckily Sora helped me out.

"He's from Zanarkand." He supplied, patting me on the back. "He told me when I first came in here."

Roxas continued to stare at me curiously in silence until finally he just smiled. "Is that so? Well I know this guy; you may have met him already, Tidus? Well Tidus is from Zanarkand too. He's always talking about how beautiful it is there at night."

I nodded. "It sure is. It's magnificent."

An awkward silence crossed over us. "Well, I'll leave you to your…Dr. Water."

Sora snorted and Roxas made a little sound in the back of his throat that sounded distinctly like a scoff.

"Thank you, Kurt."

I smiled and turned around on my heels, grabbing some trash I casually took it outside with me, throwing it away. When no one was looking, I stripped out of the uniform and threw on my pants, not even bothering to put my shirt back on. Figured I wouldn't have time, you know? And I didn't want to ruin the fabric, seeing how my hair was full of ketchup.

I slowly made my way to the car. Going around Roxas was tricky business, but it wasn't impossible. But still…somehow I got the feeling that all of this was going to blow up in my face eventually, just like what I did three years ago. I was just chock full of mistakes.

Sora finally entered the car a little while later, looking tired and exhausted.

"Going behind Roxas' back sucks." He commented as I drove in silence back to Kairi's house. I shot him an exasperated glance.

"I didn't do all that stuff back there to purposefully lie to Roxas; I did it so he wouldn't think lowly of you. You know, like how he thinks of me." I told Sora, stopping at a red light. I tossed him the camera. "I think your Roxas theory is more correct than he'd like to believe."

Sora read the lyrics in silence as I drove, making cute little sounds of surprise and interest. I glanced at the clock on my car headboard. 5:15. I was late. Kairi was going to be _pissed_.

"Roxas really loves Axel." Sora muttered, turning to look out the window. I opened my mouth to answer, but I shut it almost immediately. He looked seriously deep in thought.

And something tells me…he was thinking about me.

* * *

**Kairi's House**

"Why are we here?" Kiwi asked as we were seated in front of Kairi's House. I turned to him with an amused look.

"You don't want to see what had her running out of the Shack? I mean, there has to be a reason why she just up and left you like that." I mulled, raising an eyebrow. Sora paused for a minute, soaking that in before scowling at me.

"Stop trying to manipulate me! Jeez, Riku!" Sora shouted, opening the door to my car and slamming it in anger. "You seriously haven't changed at all!"

I grinned nonchalantly. "Nope. I'm still the same Riku!" I yelled out the window. Then I lowered my voice slightly, staring at Sora in a serious sort of way. "And you're still my Kiwi. And Kiwi…admit it. You had fun. It was just like old times for once."

"That doesn't change what you did." Kiwi whispered, staring at his feet. I think something in my heart just broke. There was something so…so heart wrenching, about Sora being sad.

"I know, Kiwi. Trust me; I know. Maybe I didn't in the past, but now…I'm trying to make it right." And I was being completely honest. I really truly believe I will never screw with Sora's heart, and even Roxas' heart, ever, _ever_ again.

"Okay. I guess I'll see you later." Sora finally muttered, turning around and retreating to the safety of Kairi's house. I watched him go with a little smile.

Kiwi was slowly starting to de-frost. And that was a start.

Besides…I thought as I pulled out of the driveway and sped down the street, Kairi had a plan. A plan that had better work. Otherwise, it was my sanity on the line.

* * *

**You know, the sad thing is, I would probably be good friends with Becky and Trina. I'm just tolerant like that. :wink: jk. Well! This chapter was fun to write! I had _so_ much fun! I like writing Riku, it comes so much more natural than it does with Sora, and I like the way he views the world. **

**I know you guys have been waiting for this since I mentioned it...the PAR-TAH chapter! It's coming next! Are you excited?! I am! The crap is going to hit the fan, guys. Be prepared for romance, sexual themes, a LOT of flashbacks (maybe), cleon and cloud/sephy drama, the introduction of the missing characters, ZEXION!, the deal with Axel and Roxas, and finally, FINALLY...just what the heck Riku did.**

**It will be one of the most anticipated chapters yet! Get ready for some luuuuurve! **


	10. The Pregame Show and The Past

**Yeah, that's right. Take a long, good look at the size of that scroll bar. Not much there, is there? I hope that makes up for my delayed update.**

**Two quick things:**

**1) Who saw Horton Hears a Who? Does JoJo's voice sound, I dunno, familiar to anyone? Lol, he sure does sound like Roxas...**

**2) Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Is. Awesome. I play as Lucas, how about you?**

**Reviewers:**

**calmxbeforexthexstorm**: Yay! An update! heh, glad to be of service. The story loves you more!

**Kira Sakura**: Lol, well at least now you can know what Riku did. Hope your still bouncing for this chapter after so long!

**SuperFriendlySoraFan203**: S-S-S-S-Sora the Explorer! Lol, and it probably did. Ketchup + sexy hair equals D:

**Scootkadooot**: Haha, cheerleaders. I was almost one. Almost. (not to say I don't like them- male cheerleaders are the smex!) The chappie loved you more!

**hanakitsunechan7**: Good question! Guess you'll have to see!

**Soraholic**: Thank you!

**midnightvisions**: Hehe, now you'll know. Hope you weren't sitting for too long!

**pickle-san**: Lol, yeah, I'm just grateful that this story has received as many reviews as it has now. But thank you! That comment made my day!

* * *

"**The Pregame Show"**

**Or**

"**The Countdown to Showdown"**

* * *

**Enter Axel:**

If there was one thing in the world that Axel couldn't stand, it'd be liars.

Okay, so maybe that wasn't a thing, but still. He hated to be fucked with! Maybe it was due to the fact that when he was younger, his parents lied to him about getting a divorce, and then about having a little sister, but either way liars could go to hell.

Riku told him that he didn't know who Sora was, but he miraculously saves him and visits him like they're brothers? What the hell? Axel knew Riku was a nice guy, but no one's _that _nice to someone they've heard about from a friend.

Axel didn't know what to expect of him now. He'd just felt so damn connected to Riku when they were talking! He could see Riku as someone he could be really good friends with, kind of like when he first met Dem and when he first met Rocky. But now _Riku_ is doing this shit? Did he make it a habit to lie to people who are trying to befriend him?

God dammit. And now he was going to be late picking up Roxas and Namine.

Which brought him back to his first dilemma: should he pick up Namine first, or Roxas?

Technically, Namine had asked for a ride first, meaning that technically, it should be her. But what would Roxas think? He could just imagine the look on Roxas' face when he happily bounced out his house just to find Axel with Namine sitting in the front seat. So which was better? Honor or love?

Actually, the way he saw it he already proved he had no honor.

The truth was that he was still the slutty old bastard that he'd told Riku he wasn't anymore. The problem may have had to do with his self-control- he had none- or maybe it was that lately whenever he saw Roxas, the boy seemed too angry to do much of anything with him.

Whatever the fucking reason was…it wasn't like he didn't have a choice.

And that choice was a bad one.

What'd he do to make him treat him like pure shit?

He slept with Namine. They'd had sex.

No, scratch that, cause' when people say that, they refer to a mistake they made one time. "Oh, I got so drunk that night that I slept with that one guy from band camp." He and Namine had had sex numerous times. They'd been having sex for a week now.

Now, usually Axel wasn't the kind of guy who listened to his conscience but…the guilt was wearing him down. Especially when Roxas would just act all sweet and mushy towards him when he least expected it. Like yesterday, when he apologized for slapping him, even though it was Axel's fault.

And now, the way he saw it…it was time to give Roxas something back.

**Enter Roxas:**

The only reason he was going to this stupid ass party was because of Axel. That red head was so lucky he was in love with him, otherwise he would literally make a dying pact with Sora t_o kick Riku's ass._

What the hell was Sora even blabbering about earlier over at that diner? About how he wasn't mad at Riku, but just stressed about Axel? Bull. Roxas was completely and utterly pissed at Riku. Axel only added to the pain.

Now Roxas wasn't the kind of person who angered easily, or at least he didn't think so. But he wasn't a freaking saint. So if Riku expected him to welcome him back with open arms after doing something like _that _to him, he was seriously mistaken.

_Let the bodies hit the floor! Let the bodies hit the floor! Let the bodies hit-_

Roxas sighed and dug in his pocket for his cell phone, internally cursing himself for letting Axel program such a headache-inducing ring tone.

"Hey Axel." Roxas greeted, staring at his hair in the mirror. It was shoulder length and straight, and his bangs were practically covering his eyes…and ugh, he had yet to spike it. Just his luck, it was already 5:50 and he hadn't even touched his bangs yet! Nice going, Roxas.

"**How did you know it was me, Rocky?"** Axel wanted to know, his smirk quite evident in his voice. Roxas rolled his eyes a little and opened his jumbo sized tub of hair gel. He might as well get started while he still had the chance.

"There's only one person who has a ringtone that manages to send all the blood rushing to my head." Roxas pointed out, taking a piece of his hair and running the gel through while the cell phone was on speaker. He could hear Axel scoffing.

"**Oh, and here I thought just the sound of my voice would send all the blood rushing to your-"**

"_Okay_, so are you still picking me up?" Roxas interrupted quickly and loudly, blushing at the foreseen sexual comment. Axel laughed.

"**Yeah, yeah, I'm standing outside your door right now. And I'm…ringing the doorbell…and…wait, wait, someone's coming, someone's coming…Hi, Mrs. Haiku, how are you doing…? Yes, yes, I'm here to pick him up…." **

Roxas rolled his eyes, and grinning, poked his head out of his bedroom door. "HI AXEL! I'M IN MY ROOM!" He shouted, then as an afterthought, "AND STOP QUESTIONING HIM, MOM!"

"I just want to know where you're going!" His mother cried out guiltily, sparing Axel an apologetic look. Axel just shrugged. "We're going over to Kairi's."

"Oh, thank heavens! You're going to Kairi's house! That girl is such a sweetheart!" Roxas' mom sighed in relief, retreating back to the living room. "Have fun!"

Axel watched her go for a second before shaking his head at the Kairi thing- seriously, what was that woman _talking _about?- and making his way up the stairs, whistling to himself out of sheer nerves.

Roxas didn't even glance in Axel's direction as the red head entered his room, plopping down on his bed tiredly. "I'm tired." Axel pointed out unnecessarily, as if the sudden attack of his bed wasn't evidence enough.

"Why? All you did was hang around your house all day and then drive over here." Roxas snorted, finishing up the last touches of his hair with proud flourish. Getting his hair to defy gravity was no joke.

Axel was silent and Roxas turned around to face him, his face softening into concern. "What's the matter?"

He cleared his throat and plastered a smirk on his face, one Roxas could damn well see through. Alright, he was more than tired of being out of the loop. It was time Axel told him what was really bothering him.

"_What _is really_ wrong_?"

Silence. And then:

"Roxas…I have to tell you something."

**Enter Zexion:**

"So basically, you forgot about me." Zexion clarified, folding his arms and glaring. Riku, the object of his glare, was sitting on his bed, wincing as he dragged a comb through his tangled mop of wet hair. Something deep inside of Zexion chuckled evilly at the karma.

"No, Zex, I already told you. I merely planned to pick you up at a later time!" Riku exclaimed, crying out in frustration as the comb became completely stuck in his head. Demyx, who was finishing up the last touches on his own hair, laughed and tossed Riku a wide-toothed comb.

"So basically, you forgot about him. Here, try this one." Demyx grinned, walking over to Zexion and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "Although, I can't say I'm not grateful that you did."

Zexion rolled his eyes, but secretly something inside of him fluttered.

"See, I told you, Zex, everything I do is just a blessing in disguise." Riku smirked, and Zexion scowled at him. "When exactly did you say that?"

Riku shrugged. "Somewhere between doing your mom."

Zexion rolled his eyes again and turned back to his reflection in the mirror. That imbecile Riku was lucky he was his friend.

But deep inside, he knew that wasn't true._ He_ was lucky to be _Riku's_ friend…they all were. And if this Sora person didn't realize that by the end of the night, well, frankly…

Riku could do much better.

"So yeah, I can't believe I've never spoken to you before. You said you're from Bastian Bay?" Demyx asked Riku, brushing off a piece of lent from his green Abercrombie and Fitch polo. Zexion repressed an urge to gag. Who in their right minds would wear that crap? Of course, it did look pretty good on Dem, he had to admit.

Riku sighed in triumph as he successfully finished fixing his hair. "Uh, yeah, I spent the first semester of my freshman year at Lucky High before moving there three years ago. But I'm back now. That can attribute mostly to Cloud, Sora and guilt."

"Well," Demyx began with a shrug, "the way I see it, this is also a good chance to start over. I mean, all the girls just fawn over you. You've got the cheerleaders eating out of the palm of your hands, the guys on the sport teams are dying to get you to join them, and anybody else is too intimidated by your sheer sexiness to even approach you."

Demyx paused and turned to Zexion. "But of course, you're not a gorgeous as Zexion here." He gave him a small kiss on the lips.

Riku laughed and cooed as Zexion's face erupted in a fierce blush. "Yeah," He sighed playfully once he'd regained his breath, "I sure wish I looked like him."

"Fuck you." Zexion growled, hiding his face in his hair, ignoring Demyx's pout at the gesture. "It's time for us to head out anyway. The party is going to start without you."

Riku rolled his eyes but stood up anyway. "Alright, let's get the drama over with."

**Enter Cloud:**

If Cloud had a color, it'd be confused. Sure, that wasn't a color, but who gave a fuck? He was cheating on _Sephiroth_, for Christ sake. _His_ Seph. The man he'd been in love with since he could speak. And now look. He was fucking a man he'd literally just met about a couple of days ago. And it got worse. He was starting to have legitimate feelings for him, feelings that just refused to go away.

What was wrong with him?

Luckily, though, he got to have a break from all of this. He was sitting on Kairi Tomura's couch, probably his residence for the next eight hours, ready to chaperone the underage drinking and grinding, surely illegal somewhere.

But there was a bright side. He got to be away from Leon, which his lower regions protested wasn't a good thing, and to have time to sort of his remaining feelings for Sephiroth.

Ugh...he needed Samuel Adams, and he needed him fast.

**Enter Kairi:**

The house was amazing. The normally quite dull exterior of the quiet suburban house had been transformed into the main squeeze place-to-be of the night. The grass had been dyed aqua-marine, the color of the honoree's eyes, and was sparkling with unseen drops of dew. Hollywood style lights were moving back and forth into the night sky, casting a welcoming glow across the whole neighborhood.

A red carpet led to the front door, which was covered in silver sparkles, in honor of the special someone's long hair, but the perhaps the most breath-taking sight was behind that door. The interior was shocking. Where were the couches and the lamps? No one knew. All the party goers knew was that the inside of the house looked exactly like a UK rave. Disco balls hung from the ceilings along with letters spelling out R-I-K-U in sparkly pink letters.

The floor was covered in some kind of hard surface that lit up a different color every time a foot touched it. The walls were splatter painted in neon colors, and in small frames were many pictures of Riku over the years that he was in Destiny Island. Splatter painted neon Mistletoe hung from every corner, Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution and Super Smash Bros. Brawl were in the Game Room, and every type of food imaginable was set out in the Dining Room, which was decorated like a Drive-through, complete with a bubbly brunette serving everyone's food wishes.

Oh and don't forget the stripper poles and the run way, courtesy of a familiar, blonde, quite _older_ friend of hers.

To add to every adventurer's needs, there was a rock wall, an arcade, and a trampoline in the Morning Room. There was even a movie theater with a huge projector, fading lights, and a popcorn machine in the basement.

All in all, the party was going to be rocking out hard.

It was six o'clock on the dot, and people were just about to start arriving. The honored had yet to arrive, but said person's companion was already there. And what was he doing? Well…

Sora was freaking out again.

Kairi pursed her strawberry flavored Kiss Me! Gloss covered lips in irritation. If she had to breathe with Sora one more time, she was going to explode! True, Sora was her best friend, and true, Sora had asthma, but come on! She deserved a little fun, right? If she wanted to enjoy herself at all at this party, she would have to initiate her plan now.

"Sora, Riku is not even here yet. Calm down. In fact, why don't you go to the kitchen and play bartender until Roxas gets here." Kairi suggested, pushing her best friend into that direction. Actually, she hoped Sora wouldn't bar tend all night. Roxas was the best drink maker on the island, and frankly Sora was…well, clumsy.

Speaking of which, Sora hadn't really broken anything in a while. Well, scratch that, he had been breaking tons of things, but not as many as before. Could it be that Riku's mediocre "awesomeness" lessons were actually working?

Kairi tugged on one of her locks in thought. This may work in her favor.

Her half-assed just thought of a couple of minutes ago plan was quite simple. Stick Roxas, Riku and Sora in a closet. Rikku would be the recorder¸ Paine would make sure no one came in, and Yuna would…well, if all went according to plan, flirt with her! Sure, Yuna was straight, but still…if Kairi was able to switch over to the dark side, there was still hope for Yuna!

Actually, she'd had a really great plan formulated in her mind that she had originally planned to use. But it had required her to lie to Roxas and Sora, and it would require Riku and some other people to hurt them in order to get them to be themselves again.

So she pretty much decided it wasn't worth it. At least not yet.

_Ding Dong!_

Kairi grinned mischievously. Time to get this party started!

* * *

"**Riku's Welcome Back Party! Part One" **

**Or**

"**The Past" **

**In celebration of a loving, caring, quite sexy silver-haired hottie who is finally back in Destiny Island for good!**

* * *

**Enter Sora:**

It took a while, but after much consideration, I'd finally discovered just what the heck Riku had meant earlier when he said, _"You don't want to see what had her running out of the Shack? I mean, there has to be a reason why she just up and left you like that." _And of course, I assumed he was just trying to get a rise out of me.

Boy was I a dumbass.

"Hey Klutz! Can you mix me a Strawberry Pina Colada flavored Sex on the Rocks?" Some guy who I recognized to be in my geometry class asked me, holding an attractive blonde girl in his left arm. I blinked at him.

"Does it _look_ like I know how to mix you a Strawberry Pina Colada flavored Sex on the Rocks?" I asked him back sourly, reaching in the cooler next to me and pulling out a Bud Light. "Here, just take this and get slammed somewhere."

The guy rolled his eyes but took the beer. "Wonder what crawled up_ his_ butt." I heard him asking the girl who was in his arms.

I sighed. Parties weren't really my thing. But of course they weren't; I was hardly ever invited to them. Kairi tried to drag me to some of them last summer, but honestly my heart wasn't into it.

The next thing I knew, the house was full of people and I was still sitting here in the outfit that Riku picked out for me earlier. Was that why he bought me a new outfit? Because he knew about this party? Figures.

Just as I prepared to crank open a beer myself (I actually don't like beer, but getting totally wasted would be better than just sitting here), Cloud came up to where I was "bartending" (basically just handing out beers) and plucked it from my hands.

"Hey Sora." He greeted, lifting his beer in a salute. I merely gave him an odd look. Wasn't he supposed to be, I don't know, chaperoning?

"Shouldn't you be-?"

"Nope. Well, yes, but I intend to get shitfaced while I sort out my love life in a drunken stupor. And stopping anyone else from getting completely trashed would make me a hypocrite." Cloud explained with a long swig of his beer.

I rolled my eyes and reached for my stolen beer, but Cloud merely dangled it above my head where he knew I couldn't reach. I pouted. "How come tons of kids on the island that you don't even know can get shitfaced but I can't?" I protested.

Cloud grinned at me. "Because I'm not best friends with their fathers."

I groaned. "Being your god kid sucks, Cloud. It sucks hard."

"Harder than finding out that the guy you're infatuated with is getting serious with someone else?" Roxas suddenly supplied, showing up in between Cloud and I. I tilted my head at him in confusion.

"Who? Axel?" I wanted to know. Roxas gave me a stupid look.

"No, Sora, the Easter Bunny." He mocked with a scoff, ignoring my pout. Well, gosh, that was no reason for Roxas to get all touchy. It wasn't my fault that he and Axel were having problems_ again_.

Cloud laughed loudly before letting out a small burp. "Oops." He giggled.

Roxas stared at him a moment in slight disgust before turning back to me. "Right. Well anyway, Sora, I was wondering if-"

"Roxas! Would you stop being a baby and just talk to me?" Axel's red spiky hair was suddenly visible a few people away, and his deep, deviously seductive voice rang throughout the house. I could see Kairi over by the DJ station- being managed by Wakka until Demyx arrived- glancing from Roxas to Axel nervously.

Roxas merely turned his back to him, shooting me an irritated look. "Why does he always have to be so damn loud?"

Ignoring that question, since I knew it was rhetorical and because I knew that Roxas didn't mind all that much since he _loves_ Axel's voice, I asked the million dollar question on everybody's mind.

"What did he do?"

Axel was heading our way fast, and Roxas acted quickly. If by acting quickly you mean grabbing my wrist and pulling me into the kitchen and under the table.

"Okay, I had to make sure the coast was clear." Roxas informed me in a hushed tone, observing his surroundings with care. I cocked my head and gave him a weird look. Just what the heck was he taking?

"Uh, Rox?"

"Alright, the going looks good." He determined. He looked back at me. "So now that we're alone…you want to know what he did."

I nodded. Duh.

"Okay, well, once I tell you, you're going to be all, 'oh Roxas, that's so stupid.' But this time, in my heart, I feel like I actually have something to argue with him about." Roxas explained. My heart raced a little despite myself. It must be serious.

"Axel is getting serious with Namine."

"What? But…I thought you guys were just dating. Isn't he allowed to see Namine if you guys are just dating?"

Roxas regarded me with exhausted eyes. "Sor, when I say serious, I mean…_serious_."

I nodded vigorously. "Yeah, I get that. What I mean is-"

"They're having sex, Sor."

Silence rung throughout the kitchen- well, except for the music and the party-goers at least. Was he serious? He couldn't be serious…Axel wouldn't do that to Roxas! He knows just how much Rox loves him! Doesn't he?

Whatever. It didn't matter if Roxas never told him. All that mattered was that I was right from the start. Roxas deserved much better than anything that Axel could give him.

"Look Roxas, I don't want you to think that I don't like Axel. Of course I do, he became one of my closest pals after Riku…after Riku left. But I've always kind of thought that you were more deserving of someone that will love you for who you are." I told him seriously, taking his hand. Roxas glanced down at our entwined hands and blushed a little.

"Uh…that's really sweet, Sora."

I gave him one of my trademark Sora Smiles. "No prob, Rox."

**Enter Riku:**

I was an hour late to my own party…how tacky.

Zexion and Demyx turned out to be perfect for each other- but that was expected of course, since he was all Zex talked about back in Bastian Bay, and he never talks highly of _anyone_- but as it also turns out, they fight like a married couple.

"So, the talking box says that we should get on Ansem the Wise Bridge, and then take a right on King Mickey Street, and we should be in Painted Papou Drive, where Kairi lives." Demyx would say. And of course, Zexion would just _have_ to correct him by saying,

"I believe you're referring to the _GPS Navigational System_, and you must be mistaken. There is no turn off of the bridge that allows me to make a right."

Demyx: "Well, _sweetheart_, the _talking box_ happens to disagree with you there. Besides, you're not even on the bridge yet, so how would you know?

Zexion: "_Must_ you be so childish? I'm not on the bridge yet because if I get on the bridge and my calculations are correct, there will be no right turn that gets us on King Mickey Street. Then we'll both be sitting here like dumbasses while Riku cries like a baby because he can't see his precious coconut-"

Me: "It's Kiwi_._"

Zexion: "-So excuse me if I don't listen to the _GPS NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM_, and use a little common sense. _Honey._"

Demyx: "_Must_ you be such an _asshole_? _Baby cakes_, I'm just listening to the _TALKNG BOX _like you asked so we can get to the party before Riku has a meltdown over his mango."

Me: "It's KIWI!"

Zexion and Demyx at the same time: "Who cares?!"

And then it's back to the bickering.

So after thirty more minutes of this, we finally rolled up to Kairi's house. And don't even look at me like that, like I should know where she lives. It's been three years, and I have no clue how to get there from Zexion's new apartment, nor do I remember how to get there from anywhere else on the island. Like I said, it's been three years.

Three years without seeing Kiwi or Roxas.

But tonight, all of that was going to change. If Kairi's plan succeeded, I would be able to see those two, especially Kiwi, all I wanted. And all I had to do, apparently, was wait quietly and obediently in the closet like a good little boy, and Kairi would handle the rest.

Part of me was wondering why the hell I had to wait in a closet, but who am I to question the master? The fact of it is, I came to her for help (well, sort of), and I'll be damned if I was going to bite the hand that was feeding me.

When Zexion pulled up into Kairi's driveway (surprisingly it wasn't filled up completely like one would assume), I couldn't hold back the surprised gasp that had escaped from my throat. The house looked incredible!

Kairi did all of this for me, despite my behavior in the past. This really was…this meant a lot.

"Jeez, Tarada, don't cry." Zexion snorted, unbuckling his seat belt. I sniffed and let my bangs cover my eyes a little bit. Zexion was always right, and this was no exception. I won't lie; there were some tears that were threatening to fall. But I shook them away. I had to be a man!

Get your head in the game, Riku!

"Shut up." I retorted back smartly, opening my door as well. Demyx laughed and patted me on the back. "Good one, Riku." He said sarcastically.

A strange, dorky sounding chuckle from behind startled me, causing me to lose balance and go stumbling into the bushes, true Sora-style. Two shadows faced Zex, Demyx, and I and out of the corner of my eye I could see Zexion slipping his hand into his cloak, stroking the book that lay inside.

"That was the worst driving I've ever seen!"

"Well, gawrsh, there's no need to be rude!"

"There is a huge need to be rude!"

Demyx and I shared looks (these guys didn't sound like crocks) and relaxed confusedly, while Zexion withdrew his hand hesitantly.

"Show yourselves or perish." He said into the shadows, causing the faded arguing to cease. All three of us held our breaths as two horrible, monstrous, evil-

-animalistic looking dorks came out to greet us. Oh.

Oh, jeez, not these two losers again.

The two shadows belonged to none other than Goofy and Donald, Sora's two goofy friends. Everyone has a pair of friends that, even though they might not be the closest, they can trust enough to be themselves with, and these two have always been Sora's.

Pssh. Whatever. I don't see what makes them so much better than me. But it's not that I'm jealous or anything. Sometimes a person just needs to be with a different set of friends.

"Riku! What is this guy talking about?" Donald demanded, stomping his orange colored converses. He was wearing a blue shirt that reminded me distinctly of a sailor, with matching shorts. His pale, pale skin glistened in the setting sun, casting almost a feather-like quality to it and his hair, bleached blonde because he thought it was cool, looked almost like the same color. His facial features were sharp and shaped, and his mouth was puckered ad pushed out slightly thanks to his orange braces.

Goofy, on the other hand, who had randomly pointed out that, "Riku looks so wise now!" (I always did like Goofy better than Donald), had more of a dog-like quality to him, and I don't mean that he was loyal (but really, he was). He had a long nose that rounded out on the tip (kind of like a who from Whoville) that was sprinkled with dark freckles, buck-teeth and warm brown eyes. His hair was black and pulled into shoulder-length dreadlocks, but he always braided them together into two pig-tails, making the two pieces of hair kind of look like dog ears. He wore big baggy yellow capris, a black vest over a long sleeved green zip-up, and pulled his black socks all the way up.

I can see where Sora got his hideous fashion sense.

"You know them, Riku?" Zexion asked, his voice dripping with judgment. Of course, it couldn't have been that harsh since Demyx was already making friends with the two boys as I was scrutinizing them and that was a major factor in who Zex decided to associate himself with.

"Yeah," I admitted, scratching the back of my head sheepishly, "they're Sora's friends, actually."

Zexion had turned to no doubt lay one of his sarcastic comments on me, but something else seemed to catch his attention. What? He was staring pretty intently at me. I fidgeted uncomfortably. He _knows_ I don't like when people stare at me, so what was he looking at?

"Uh…" I started but just as I soon as I started Zexion returned to his car to fish out something from the glove department. My narrowed a little bit. Could it be a…gun? Zexion was known for doing some crazy shit. _Stupid_ crazy shit. I was assuming he planned to be on his best behavior tonight, but…

Zex, after locking his car again, made his way back over to me, the hand with the article in it stuffed in his pocket. I immediately prepared to whip out my black sunglasses and get into James Bond mode. Just in case, though, I would give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Zexion…what's that? Is it a gun? Because I _know_ you don't plan to…" I trailed off. He had pulled out the object (not without giving me a weird look, might I add) and, uh, it was a roll of bandages. Ah. Yeeeeah, this was pretty embarrassing.

"Opps."

Ignoring me, he quickly and swiftly rolled the bandages over my arm- the same arm that I had unknowingly cut up when I fell in the bushes. Aw! Zexion _did_ care! He was so concerned about my arm that he fixed it right up for me. That was so sweet, and so…un-like him.

Zexion gave me a stupid look before pushing past me. "Come on, Tarada, before I shoot you."

I started to laugh before Zexion wordlessly lifted up his black hoodie- revealing a silver pistol nestled in his jean pocket.

What the hell? Why the fuck did Zexion bring a pistol with him? It's not like he didn't already bring the damn book…how much power does that man need?

"Zexion…."

"Riku, don't even start with me on that power trip mumbo jumbo." Zexion cut me off, holding up a hand to make sure I would speak no longer. "I have a valid reason this time."

I narrowed my eyes in disbelief. "Oh yeah? Let's hear it then." This oughta be good.

Zexion lowered his voice. "The Organization…they'll be arriving in Destiny Island tonight."

My eyes widened. WHAT?

"Why the fuck are they doing that?" I questioned coldly, my confusion making me a little too harsh, just to be shushed again.

"Because," Zexion snapped, probably trying to hint to me to shut up, "I ran away half-way through the initiation."

If possible, my eyes widened ever further. I must have looked like Sora. "Why? I thought that's what you wanted."

"I thought I did too. But then I realized that…these were the same guys who, I thought at the time, killed Demyx. So I couldn't do it."

I sighed. Zexion had really gotten himself in a mess when he started hanging out with that gang. Granted, they really were like a family…and true, they had strange supernatural abilities (no, I'm not freaked out by it; been there done that). And to add the topping on the cake, Xiggie, Zex's older brother to whom he never got to see…ever, was in it. But that didn't mean that it was the right place for Zexion.

In fact, they'd even tried to induct me, despite the fact that I don't have weird powers or the ability to make random objects appear in my hand. I declined, of course. Well, if declined means shaking my head and saying, "Nah. Maybe later."

But Zex? Yeah, he was in some deep shit. All we could do now is go inside, make sure Kairi had an escape route or plan or something, and pray that the Organization wouldn't come to Painted Papou Drive.

We entered the house, hearing Dem and the dorks behind us, and I couldn't help but let out a gasp of surprise. Oh wow…Kairi had really outdone herself. The house looked even better on the inside!

Of course, it's not like I had time to really look around or anything, since right when I stepped inside I was embraced by a warm body.

"Hey man! Long time no see!" It was Tidus. I grinned and patted him heartedly on the back.

"Tidus! How's it been, dude?"

Tidus' grin widened and he gently pulled a pretty short-haired brunette in front of him. My eyebrows couldn't help but rise a little.

She really was gorgeous. She had two different colored eyes, one blue and one green, and had mahogany colored locks- sort of the color of Sora's hair. She was wearing a tank-top and jean shorts, with a flowing belt that was open on her right side. A strange but beautiful intricate necklace completed the look, completely an overall dazzling effect.

"This is my girlfriend, Yuna Highwind." He continued with a knowing wink. I blinked. Wait. When I left, Tidus and Kairi were still going out. When did they break up?

And why didn't Kairi tell me? Well, it's not like she had time to; she's been such a great friend helping me and Sora that she's been ignoring her own life.

I frowned; jeez, I really felt like a jerk today.

"So where's Sora and Roxas?" I asked instead, my eyes scanning all of the different features to the house. There was a rock wall?! Where did she even_ get_ that?

Tidus' expression suddenly turned mischievous. "The last time I saw them they were under a table together."

Oh, that was nice. Despite all of the anger directed at me, I'm glad that Sora and Roxas were able to remain a healthy friendship and-

Wait. Under a table?

Together?

"What do…what do you mean?" I wanted to know, scowling at Tidus' handsome suntanned face. He raised an eyebrow.

"Don't give me that look, Riku. It's _exactly_ like it sounds. They used to date, you know."

My frowned deepened and my eyes grew wide. They use to date? When was this?!

"What? When?"

"Uh, I think about a year and a half after you left. They were pretty hot together, actually. They both kind of look the same so it was a pretty sexy coupling." Tidus explained, turning to Yuna when she subtly tugged on his arm.

"I got to go get Yuna something to drink, Riku. But you stay cool man."

I didn't even notice him anymore. "Yeah. Sure."

**Enter Tidus:**

As Tidus passed by Kairi, she casually pressed a crisp twenty dollar bill in his outstretched hand. And that, friends, is what bribes can get you.

**Enter Riku:**

Now, I know that this emotion I was feeling wasn't the least bit justified but…I couldn't help but feel a little angry. While I was in Bastian Bay, feeling guilty and lonely what with my blunt lack of friends (minus Zexion, of course, but he didn't even _go_ to school) while they were kissing each other up?

Something about that just didn't seem right.

The scent of daises and apples surrounded me, and I looked up to see Kairi waving a hand in my face, smiling brightly. I couldn't help but give a little smile as well. It was the least I could do, what with all this work she'd put into the party.

She could totally tell I was faking though.

"Alright, let's hear it. Out with it; what happened?" She demanded to know, placing her hands on her hips. I glanced over at her before looking at my feet. She looked pretty; she had on a cute little dress that zipped and her hair fell in a very appealing sort of way. I idly wondered who it was she was trying to look good for. But once again, my selfishness prevented me from asking.

"How long did Sora and Roxas go out?" I tried to ask casually, but I'm pretty sure it didn't come out that way. Kairi sighed and pursued her lips.

"I don't know; a couple of months give or take?"

I cursed in my head. I don't know why it made me so angry but…it did. I won't lie; it made me completely and utterly upset. Maybe it was the feeling that I was being excluded? The feeling of being left out? Or maybe it was just jealously.

Whatever it was, I didn't like it. Not one bit.

"Riku…you okay there?" Kairi asked me, resting a comforting hand on my shoulder. I gave her a fake smile and nodded vigorously. Might as well pretend as if I wasn't bothered by it…it was worth a shot to pretend, right?

"Yeah, I'm fine. I mean, why would I be upset about that?" I pointed out with a forced scoff, letting my bangs cover my eyes. One of the worst things about my eyes, besides the fact that they were so squinty- as I pointed out earlier- was that they couldn't lie. My eyes were so damn expressive…it was a fucking curse.

Kairi rolled her eyes and pointed to a door a couple of steps away from us. "Just go wait in the closet, Riku."

I opened my mouth to protest. "But-"

"Nope; I don't want to hear it. I need to finish my preparations for the party games before I can tell you 'the plan', so go wait in there like I told you to. I'll be there in a second." She interrupted, holding out a hand in front of my face to prevent me from speaking.

"But I-"

"Ah." She held up a finger and interrupted me with a single syllable.

"Kairi, I-"

"Ah."

"You're being-"

"Ah."

"Fine." I blew out air frustratingly, ignoring the way my bangs flipped up and opened the closet door. Closing the door, I suddenly realized that I definitely left Zexion. _Again_. Demyx would be at the turntables, DJ-ing for Kairi, so he wouldn't have anyone to hang with. I'd told Zex that he could stick with me.

I reached for the handle, only to slam my hand on the door. Ow!

The hell? Where were the handles?

I kicked the door roughly, but it still didn't budge. "Kairi! It won't open!" I shouted, in hopes that maybe she'd open it, or tell me the location of the handles. All I heard, though, was the giggling of Kairi's voice.

"I know!" She called back happily, and I could hear her footsteps retreating.

Well, this was just wonderful. I was stuck in a damn closet. Ugh, what kind of idiot doesn't check for door handles when they enter a room?

Apparently, me.

I sat down on the floor in the darkness, staring out into nothingness, hearing the party carry on without me.

Well.

Fuck.

**Enter Sora:**

As I crawled out the table, I noticed that Roxas wasn't following.

"You gonna get out from under that table, Rox?"

Roxas gave me a half smile and leaned back on one of the chair legs. He shook his head like I was stupid. "Dude, does it _look_ like I feel like dealing with Axel's bullshit tonight?"

I laughed. "No."

"Didn't think so."

Exiting the kitchen, I happened to pass by Axel, who was looking more than a little put out. The angel in me began to feel immensely sorry for him. Unfortunately for Roxas, the devil in me was currently harping on Riku at the moment to really stop me from feeling a little empathy.

"Hey, Axel. You alright, buddy?" I asked, genuinely concerned. He let out a bark of pathetic laughter and regarded me with an amused smile. It was so forced that even I could see through it. Aw, poor Ax!

"No, I'm not. I really need to talk to Roxas. I hurt him, and I want to make it right." He confessed, running a hand through his red spikes and tugging slightly. "Did he leave? Or is he just hiding?"

Sneaking a back glance at the table Roxas was hiding under, I raised my voice and arched an eyebrow.

"SORRY AXEL, I THINK HE LEFT ALREADY!" I spoke out loudly, but meanwhile pointing slyly at the kitchen. He stared at me for a second before realization dawned on his face.

"OH DAMN! I GUESS I'LL GO BY HIS HOUSE THEN!" He played along, creeping into the kitchen. 'Thank you!' He mouthed, retreating into the kitchen. I paused. I heard an _eep!_ and then a, "Sora, you fucking traitor!"

I snickered and fled the area. It was smarter to stay clear of Roxas when he's in a pissy mood. And right now, it was one of those times.

I ended up running right into Kairi, however, who was whispering into some kind of walkie talkie to Rikku and Paine.

"Okay, just make sure he stays in there. I'm sending in Sor-" She froze upon noting who it was that she'd just bumped into. She laughed nervously. "O-Oh! Hey Sor!"

I narrowed my eyes. I could have sworn that she'd been about to say my name in that walkie talkie. Sure, I was naïve but I wasn't stupid.

"Why did you just say my name?" I asked her bluntly, folding my arms and glared at her playfully. I wasn't really mad; just curious. She cleared her throat.

"Oh, Sora, you're so silly sometimes. It's not even that serious. I was just telling Rikku that we were going to need some more beer since Cloud was drinking it all-" We both paused to look over at Cloud, who was surrounded by girls, _teenage_ girls, mind you, and drinking _another _can of beer.

"-And I was going to ask you if you could go get some more from the closet." She finished with a smile. I cocked my head at her.

"Why are you keeping beer in the closet? Won't it be warm?"

Kairi laughed. "Oh Sora, you really _are_ a party virgin, aren't you? Don't you know that warm beer is all the rage now?"

I scowled at her. I was NOT a party virgin. Okay…so maybe I was, but still! She didn't have to say it like that! I totally knew that warm beer was cool!

"I know _that_, I was just asking to make sure… your closet wasn't making it cold and…not warm…and…" I trailed off when she gave me a look. "I'll just get the beer now."

"Thank you!" She cooed, leading me to the closet. Well, jeez, if she planned to actually go over there she could have just gotten it herself.

I opened the closet and went inside, my eyes swiftly looking for the beer from the light in the hallway. Huh? I didn't see any beer.

Turning around to tell her this, I felt pressure hit me in my derrière.

Now, I could have been mistaken but…it _looked _like Kairi just slammed the door on my butt. I reached up to open it just to hit the door itself with my hand.

"What the- hey Kairi! The door is locked!" I cried, pounding on the door in frustration. Uh, where the heck was the handle? And why did I get the feeling that something horrible was happening that I just didn't understand?

An irritated scoff from behind me let me know I was correct as I went flying into the air, startled. "_This _was her master plan? Lock us into a closet?"

I swirled around and clicked on the light, letting my eyes adjust. Nope, it wasn't just an illusion. The owner to that voice _was _in here. "Riku?! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I shrieked, retreating to the opposite side of the small closet. Riku rolled his eyes.

"Well, I _think_ what I was doing was waiting in here as I was told. But, you know, I'm not sure." Riku answered sarcastically, folding his arms. I stared at him in surprise as he glared at me. What the- was he mad at me? It sure did look like it. But what did _he_ have to be mad about? He was the one who-

"Tell me, _Sora_. How long did you and Roxas date after I left?" Riku sneered. My mouth fell open in shock. How did he know about that? It's not even like it was that serious. I was lonely without Riku, despite my anger, and he was there. I mean, Roxas is an attractive guy, and he has this weird sexy mischievousness about him…and I missed Riku, dammit!

I won't lie; I had feelings for Roxas for a while. But they were never as strong as the ones I had for Riku. And besides…Riku was the asshole who broke my heart. So in my book, I didn't have to explain jip to him.

I folded my arms as well and sent him a glare of my own. "That's not really any of your business, now is it?"

Riku growled and opened his mouth to speak, but sounds outside the closet door grabbed both of our attention.

"_**Roxas! Talk to me, god dammit! Let's be fucking adults here!"**_

"_**No, I don't deserve to talk to you, remember?"**_

"_**I didn't say that, and what I **_did_**say I didn't actually mean. I was frustrated. Just…let's just go in this closet and talk, alright?"**_

"_**Fine."**_

I repressed a sigh as Roxas opened and slammed the closet door shut. Great. Now we were stuck in here with Roxas and Axel. There was no way in hell I was coming out of here alive.

"Roxas, look, I-" Axel paused as he took in the sight of me and Riku on opposite sides of the closet. His shoulders sagged and he sighed exasperatedly. "Okay, what the fuck is going on?"

Roxas shot a beautifully frightening scowl at me. "Sora, what are you doing in here with _him_?"

Riku answered for me before I could answer in a way that would calm him down. "Kairi trapped us in here; you can't get out from the inside. And apparently, that was a fact that escaped you when you decided to come in here."

"I don't like you. Or your tone." Roxas growled, making to attack Riku before Axel stepped in front of him. He glared at Riku as well.

"Chill out, fairy, we didn't know. Besides that, it wouldn't be such an issue if _you_ had known that prior to coming in here with a guy that you apparently don't know." Axel retorted, earning a confused look from me and Roxas and a guilty one from Riku.

"Hold on Axel, before you jump to conclusions, I-" Riku started but I didn't even hear him speak. Why did he tell Axel that? Did he not want to know me? But that would make no sense, seeing as how he's been trying to be near me ever since he came back. No, it couldn't be that. Or…maybe…

Oh god. I could feel the air from my lungs compress indefinitely and my breathing quicken. I knew what was going on.

"Riku…did you…were you…are you _embarrassed_ to know me?" I asked quietly, looking down at my shoes. I could feel Riku's shocked gaze boring down on me but I still wouldn't look up at him. I couldn't. I didn't want to see the truth shining in his beautiful aquamarine eyes.

"No! Kiwi, it wasn't like that! Listen, I-" Riku reached for me but Roxas intercepted his arm and bent it behind his back, slamming him to the wall. My eyes widened in concern despite myself, and even Axel looked a little bit sympathetic for Riku.

"No. You just stay the fuck away from him. Every little thing that comes out of your mouth just ends up hurting someone in the end; just like you ended up hurting me. So just leave us alone!" And with that, Roxas slammed Riku into the wall and released him, watching as he slid to the ground, groaning.

Axel glared at Riku before turning to Roxas in suspicion. "What do you mean he hurt you?"

Roxas glanced up at me before quickly returning his eyes to Axel's narrowed ones. "He…didn't…."

Axel grabbed Roxas' wrists and shook him a little bit in obvious frustration. "Roxas! What did he fucking _do_ to you?"

Roxas squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, but Axel shook him harder. "ROXAS! ANSWER ME!"

"IT WAS THREE YEARS AGO!" Roxas screamed, shutting up Axel immediately, "And….I was thirteen years old…me and Riku were together back then. And it was beautiful…"

_**Three years ago**_

_June_

_Roxas watched as Riku slept peacefully in his bed, staring as the silver haired male hugged the sheets to himself. Riku was so beautiful. Sometimes, mostly when Riku was doing something unknowingly perfect, Roxas would sit and wonder just how the hell he ended up with someone like him._

"_Rox…why are you up over there, babe?" Riku asked groggily, opening his eyes a little. Roxas was sitting by the window sill; he couldn't sleep. Even with this heavenly relationship, and his cherished friendships, he could help but feel as if there was something he wasn't seeing; something almost horrible-like…that he wasn't getting._

"_I was just thinking. Hey, you think maybe you should get going? It's already one o'clock, and mom said if she saw you here again past midnight she was going to-" Roxas began but Riku interrupted him with a grin._

"_I know, I know. 'I'll ground Roxas so hard he won't be able to take a piss without feeling a pair of eyes on his long, beautiful rod.'"_

_Roxas burst out laughing before Riku slammed his hand over his mouth with a pointed smile._

_When he felt like Roxas could control himself, he released his hold on his mouth. "She did not say that and you know it, you loser." Roxas hissed with one last chuckle. Riku shrugged playfully as if he didn't know any better before pulling on his yellow tank top. _

_Riku paused at the window before turning back to Roxas with a sly smile. He cocked his finger as if he wanted him to go to him. Roxas obliged. Riku pulled him into a kiss by his chin and Roxas downright melted in his arms just like earlier that night._

"_Thanks for tonight, Riku." Roxas whispered._

"_Thanks for moving here, Rox." Riku whispered back._

"Wait," Axel interrupted with the wave of his hand, "Are you telling me that you two had just had sex?"

I gasped a little, but Roxas just had the nerve to look a little disgusted. "At the time, I wished. But no, we didn't. All we had been doing was cuddling."

"Oh." I mumbled. That was a relief. I looked up and Riku was staring right at me with a pained look in his eyes.

"Kiwi-" He started but Axel stopped him with a warning finger.

"Shut up, fairy, and let Rocky finish. You're on my radar as it is already."

_July_

"_Boys against girls! Boys against girls! Kairi, that means you have to switch sides with Sora!" Tidus joked, earning a few chuckles from Selphie, Riku and Roxas. Kairi and Sora didn't look so amused. _

"_Are you calling me a boy?" Kairi asked indigently, placing her hands on her hips. Tidus grinned and pulled her to him by the waist. "Aw, baby, I was just playing around. You know you're my stunning, beautiful _female_ counterpart."_

_Kairi grinned back and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I know." Then they proceeded to kiss._

"_Hey! None of that! You'll give Reno a heart attack from seeing so many straight pairings!" Cloud shouted out with a laugh from his position on Sephiroth's lap. It was Fourth of July, and Sunny and Cloud were having their annual barbeque at Aerith's house. Almost everyone on the island was invited, with the exception of a couple of homophobes, which were rare anyway, seeing as how the island prided itself on being considerably accepting._

_Sunny burst out laughing as he flipped a pair of ribs on the grill, Sephiroth smirked, and Reno merely scowled at Cloud from where he was sitting between Rude, who had on his glasses and was leaning back with his arms folded and Rufus, who was playing absently with his Reno's red hair._

"_I'll have you know I swing both ways!" Reno shouted back, ignoring the disbelieving scoffs that erupted from everyone else in ear shot._

_The kids, err, pre-teens, however, were preparing for a rousing game of touch football, which apparently was going to be boys against girls. Because, obviously, that was fair._

"_Hey wait! That obviously isn't fair! We can't have boys against girls, especially when Sora, Riku and Roxas would be on the same team with all the other guys!" Selphie suddenly pointed out. A couple of other girls agreed. _

_Wakka , the oldest of all of them, since he was already in high school while the rest of them were in middle school, had an idea. "How about we put Roxas, Riku and Sora on one team, and everybody else against them?" _

_Sora gave him an odd look while everyone else avidly agreed. Roxas just shrugged and went over to where Riku was standing, the said male looking a bit unfocused._

"_Riku? You okay there?" Roxas asked concerned. Riku just looked over at him, and Roxas couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw guilt flash in his eyes before they quickly returned to their normal playful state._

"_Yeah, Rox, I'm straight." Riku grinned. Sora scoffed as the three took their positions on their side of the yard._

"_I'm pretty sure that idea was banished from the first time you kissed another dude." Sora pointed out with a smile as Roxas laughed and Riku playfully smacked him on the back of his brown pointy spikes._

"_Shut up."_

_The tweens soon found that even with the uneven ratio of people on each side, it was still quite unfair. Roxas, Riku and Sora were beating everyone else by twelve points at least, but most of that was from Roxas. Riku and Sora were all over each other, in a sense, with all of their whispering and flirting and teasing. _

_Roxas tried not to notice; to pretend that it didn't bother him. It did, ho boy, it did. But he found that telling himself that this was just their way of showing affection to each other, that this must be what Sora felt like whenever he and Riku got all affectionate in front of him, and that kind of helped._

_Of course, at the time, he was forgetting one key thing. Roxas was Riku's boyfriend, not Sora. _That _was the difference._

_To distract himself from all of the attention Riku was giving Sora, Roxas threw all of his will and strength into the game, not allowing the other team to ever get the ball and doing amazing plays. _

_Riku and Sora never even looked up._

_When the game was finished, basically when the other team quit in favor of playing something that they had a better chance of winning at, Roxas went over to where he knew Riku and Sora were, to share high-fives._

_But Riku and Sora had already walked off with Sora on Riku's back, going off into their own little world._

…_A world that Roxas was obviously not allowed access in to._

"I had been confused." Riku whispered, holding his head in his hands. I wiped my eyes a little bit. How could we have been so…so inconsiderate of Roxas' feelings? As if what we did wasn't enough…

"What?" Roxas finally asked in reference to Riku.

"You know when you said that I had been looking unfocused? I had been confused. I was starting to have these strange new feelings for Sora, but I still loved you. I was…confused." Riku explained quietly.

Roxas shook his head and covered his eyes with the palms of his hands. But he continued.

_August_

_It had started, just like he knew it would. He and Riku were drifting apart. High School hadn't even started for Riku yet and they were already drifting. But of course, it wasn't for Sora and Riku. If anything, those two got closer! As if that was possible._

_But he didn't want to bring it up to Sora. He and Sora had also been growing closer too. Sora was like the brother he'd never had. If it wasn't for the frequent asthma attacks and the constant worrying, Sora would be almost as perfect as Riku._

_The only one in their little group that wasn't perfect was him._

_Lately, as in the past week, Roxas had found himself sitting alone on the roof of an old apartment complex, watching the people go by and taking pictures of those who interested him. _

_Why was he alone? Well, Sunny, Sora's dad, and Cloud, Riku's soon-to-be step-father, had been taking an end of the summer trip to Halloween Town, and well…Roxas wasn't invited._

_But that was okay. It was better here, watching these people that he almost considered his own personal friends (that's how long he'd been watching them) then to watch Sora and Riku flirt some more._

_In his heart, he knew that Riku would never hurt him. But it was hard to tell sometimes whenever the three of them were around. Whenever Roxas was with Sora or Riku individually, everything was alright. But as a trio…it all fell apart._

_Anyway, he sat up there the entire day, with his lunchbox packed and with an endless supply of film, and watched all of the people who passed by. He snapped pictures of families, of children, of gangs…_

_But there were three people in particular that he used the most film for, and that was…_

_A little boy named Denzel who was an orphan. Roxas saw him every morning searching around the area for money. Enough money so he could go to elementary school. The boy was always so optimistic, even with the obvious sickness he had. Roxas always threw down a twenty dollar bill each day when the boy wasn't looking so he could "find" some more money for his fund._

_Second was a woman named Tifa, who always liked to take a walk around the complex for her lunch break. She never actually ate during her break, but Roxas liked to take pictures of her, not because she was beautiful, but because of how fragile she looked when she cried. And she cried every single day. It was such a strange fragileness that he could help but wonder why she was so sad. All he knew was that she always gazed at an old torn photograph when she sobbed, a photograph of a young baby boy._

_And lastly, his most favorite subject to photograph was a tall red head. Most times than often he would be with a different girl each time Roxas saw him. He liked photographing him because whenever he was with a girl, he looked so…uninhibited. But lately when Roxas would see him at night, the red head would just stand there, staring off into space, looking completely lonely. And what's more, when Roxas looked at him…his expression of depression mirrored his own._

_And for some strange reason…that comforted him. Because for some reason he couldn't understand how he was in a relationship with a guy like Riku, and still feel completely alone._

"It was me, wasn't it, Roxas?" Axel asked Roxas in amazement. Roxas just looked away, his cheeks burning. I shared a guilty look with Riku as we both realized what complete assholes we'd been. I somehow realized that Riku wasn't the only jerk on the island. I thought it had been all Riku's fault, but I was to blame as well.

"I had just moved to the island. It was half way through the summer, and I figured the only way to make friends was to pretend to be someone else. Didn't know it would make me even lonelier than I already was, though." Axel murmured, taking Roxas into his arms.

Roxas smiled a little into his chest. "I know; pictures don't lie."

"But people do." Axel suddenly sneered, glaring over at Riku. This time, Riku didn't even flinch.

"You're right. Roxas, tell him the rest." Riku whispered.

_September_

"_I still don't get it, Kai. Why would you want to hang out with me without Sora and Riku?" Roxas wanted to know, taking a long sip of his Dr. Pepper. They were both sitting in The Hollow Connection, the crew's favorite restaurant. For some reason, Kairi had asked him here to hang, which was shocking to say in the least. _

_Sora and Riku were Kairi's best friends, not Roxas. Kairi and Roxas were good enough friends, but they weren't someone that the other would usually just…chill with._

"_Hey! I'll have you know that I don't only hang out with them exclusively. And I'm sorry that I gave you that impression, because I would really like it if we could become better friends." Kairi said earnestly, also taking a sip of her Sprite._

"_Uh…okay. Do you, uh, mind if I ask why?" Roxas asked, although he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little distracted. The red headed guy worked here, the one he took pictures of. It would amazingly awesome to see him in person, up close._

_Kairi looked shocked that Roxas would even ask. "Why wouldn't I?! You're the most fun guy on the island! You're playful, cute, and always keep everyone in constant laughter and fun. That's why! And I realized the other day that I've got to branch out and make more friends than just Sora and Riku."_

_Roxas returned his eyes to Kairi once he realized that the red head wasn't around. She thought a lot more highly of him than he did himself. _

"_Kairi, is this because of Sora telling you that he's worried about me?" Roxas asked pointedly, raising an eyebrow in amusement as Kairi looked away in embarrassment._

"_That could be what spurred the call, yes. But I really do want to become better friends." Kairi explained. Roxas paused and let that sink in before accepting it._

"_Okay."_

"_Oh, and Roxas? Riku and Sora have been best friends for a long time, even longer than you and Riku have been together. I don't want you to think that Riku doesn't love you anymore just because he's been spending a lot of time with Sora lately." Kairi pointed out with a comforting smile. Roxas' cheeks burned._

"_Don't you think I know that? I know how to deal with it." Roxas said, not unkindly. Kairi rolled her eyes and leaned forward._

"_Dealing with it is not hiding away on a roof, taking pictures of other people's lives. Live your own!"_

_Roxas stood up and slammed his palms on the table, shutting up Kairi efficiently. "Enough! I said I'm handling it! And I'll do it my way!" _

**Enter Kairi: **

Kairi watched all of this on her iPod, through the camera that Rikku was recording them with up in the air vent on top of the closet. And, no, she wasn't enjoying it.

She bit the inside of her cheek nervously. This wasn't going as expected. Besides that, she hadn't been able to summon enough courage to actually speak to Yuna at all.

All the times she'd ever talked to Yuna, it'd been with someone else, be that Sora, Roxas, or Rikku and Paine maybe. But to actually talk to Yuna, the epitome of female perfection…that would take a lot of work.

Although she wouldn't lie; she looked pretty good. She was wearing a sexy pink halter dress that zipped up and let a little peak of her white tank top show. Her hair was the best it had ever looked in her life, with her bangs falling to the side perfectly and her auburn, almost red if you looked close enough, locks tumbled down her shoulders in just the right way.

But beauty didn't necessarily always give you confidence…and she'd already admitted that she had a fear of failing.

Kairi shook her head and stood up, ignoring the gasps of surprise that a couple of people couldn't hold in at the sight of seeing her crawl out from under the table. Yuna had her back against the wall, texting someone on her Razor, looking a little put off for some reason.

This was her chance.

"Hi, Lady Yuna. Who are you texting?" Kairi asked sweetly, clasping her hands behind her back. She bit her lip. Maybe that question was a little too personal for her to ask. "I mean, you're not out there having fun with Tidus?" She rephrased, hoping she didn't sound too jealous at the prospect of her and Tidus being together.

Yuna looked up at her, and Kairi had to bite her lip again to stop herself from melting at the sight of Yuna's beautiful different colored eyes. She gave her a half grin and raised an eyebrow. "Well, I was texting Rikku and Paine to see what they were doing since I haven't seen them the whole party, but apparently they've been doing a favor for you."

Kairi's cheeks burned and a panicky feeling began to fill her lower stomach. "I-I know; it's for Riku, Roxas and Sora."

Yuna's grin softened into a smile. "I know. And I think that you are a very good friend for trying to help them like this." She complimented her. Kairi was silent. Yuna actually…thought she was a good friend?

"I mean, all Tidus does is talk about what a good person you are, if I even so much as mention your name in a conversation all everyone does is gush about you, and you managed to throw this whole party in honor of your friend who hasn't even had the decency to call anyone for three years." Yuna continued, taking a step towards Kairi. Her heart began to thump wildly in her chest. "And what can_ I_ say about you? Nothing. Because whenever I try to talk to you, alone, you always run off. And when someone else is around, you barely speak two words to me. Did I do something wrong?"

"NO!" Kairi quickly assured her, grabbing Yuna's hand in what she hoped was a convincing gesture. "It isn't like that! I just…I…I've kind of always admired you."

Yuna smiled wistfully and fumbled with her necklace with her free hand. "Is that why you won't call me by my name?"

Kairi blinked in surprise. "What?"

"You call me 'Lady Yuna.' Like everyone else at school…"

"I didn't think you wanted me to call you Yuna, or Yunie like your friends do…because it's like you said, we don't talk much." Kairi confessed.

Yuna raised their enclosed hands and turned them over, kissing Kairi's hand softly. "Well, because it's you…you can call me Les."

Acting like she wasn't blushing like a glass of V8, Kairi gave her a questioning look. "Les?"

"Yes. My full name is Yunalesca, named after my mother, and my father used to call her Les all the time. It's a term of endearment."

Kairi's eyes widened. Did Tidus call her that too?

But just as she was about to ask, the devil himself bounced up to them, Wakka and Selphie, who actually was supposed to be tending to the food, following close behind. Kairi smiled slightly in nostalgia. That was right; wherever Tidus was, Selphie and Wakka were always near. He actually had the nerve to invite Selphie on their dates.

Needless to say, Kairi didn't really like Selphie all that much. Sure, they had acted polite to each other earlier at her house, but that was only because Tidus had come up to her and asked that they try to be nicer to each other.

It really wasn't working.

"Hey, Yuna!" Tidus greeted happily, leaning over and giving Yuna a kiss that was too tender for Kairi's liking. Then he looked over at her, his grin fading a little.

"Oh! What's up, RiRi?" He asked with a hint of awkwardness in his voice. It was so awkward that he didn't even notice that he'd called her by her old pet name.

"Nothing special, minus Riku coming back." Kairi answered casually, turning her gaze to Wakka. "Hi Wakka! How are you?"

Wakka gave her a big grin. "Ah, nothing much, as usual. I know you heard I had to fire old Klutz, though. Didn't wanna do it but, business is business, right?"

Right. Sometimes the rest of them forgot that this was Wakka's only way out; his business. He was so serious about it that he was even willing to fire Tidus that one time.

Selphie's normally quite consistent smile was replaced by a frown. "Oh…hey Kairi."

Kairi scowled at her in return. "Selphie."

Both girls were silent as they glared deeply at each other, so deeply that they didn't notice the worried looks that Tidus and Yuna were shooting them.

"Heeeey Kairi, how about a dance? You hired an excellent DJ." Yuna offered, grabbing her hand regardless of the answer and pulling her away from Selphie, who looked like she was about ready to gauge her eyes out.

"You mean Demyx?" Kairi answered, blinking over at her. Yuna smiled and shrugged sheepishly.

"Yeah, I actually just wanted to get you away from them and keep you for myself for a while." Yuna admitted, fiddling with her necklace again. Kairi's heart began to race again at the words.

"O-Oh. Well okay, I guess I can dance for a while."

**Enter Sora:**

The story seemed almost never ending.

_Roxas wouldn't admit it, but he and Kairi's little spat had a profound effect on him. After he had strode out the restaurant she had run after him, and they ended up spending a nice day just talking and goofing off. Well, the goofing off was mostly on Roxas part; come on, he was a playful guy! Sue him!_

_Being himself again with Kairi made him realize what he wanted. And what he wanted was to be with Riku again. To really just _be_ with him._

_This whole time, he'd just been making a big deal out of everything, and being overly sensitive. He was being a horrible, jealous friend to Sora, and a distant boyfriend to Riku. And it was time to change that._

_School was going to start in a couple of days, and that would be the ultimate test of Roxas and Riku's relationship. And that was going to be one test that he refused to fail._

_That's how he found himself climbing into Riku's bedroom via window the next day, praying to all that was holy that Riku wasn't actually in there. He just planned on leaving a romantically apologetic letter on Riku's desk and then bounce._

_Lady Luck never did like him very much._

"_Roxas?" Riku asked in a confused sort of tone. Roxas froze, which turned out to be a big mistake since he went tumbling into the room. Riku let out a concerned yelp and rushed over to help him up._

"_What are doing here?" Riku wanted to know, carefully sitting Roxas down on his bed. He looked up at Riku with tearful eyes._

"_I miss you. I feel like I haven't been with you in weeks. And I understand that most of that is my fault. I just want to let you know that I'm willing…no begging…for you to give us another try." Roxas explained hurriedly before he lost his nerve. Riku stared at him uncertainly._

"_But…we never broke up, Rox." _

_Roxas stood up, crumbling up his letter. Screw the paper; it was time to let Riku know just how he felt. "But we did, Riku! Emotionally, we did! The only time we act like a couple is when we're around other people, but when it's just us we barely even act like ourselves anymore! What happened? Do you not love me anymore?"_

_There. He asked the question that had been plaguing him for the past couple of weeks. Riku frowned at the carpet for a couple of silent moments before looking back up at Roxas with a determined look in his eyes._

"_Roxas Colden Haiku, I do love you. I will always love you. So no matter what ever happens between us, just promise me one thing." _

_Roxas' eyes watered and a light blush dusted his cheeks and his nose. "What?"_

"_That you'll never settle for anybody less than you deserve…and that you'll never forget that you'll always hold a special place in my heart."_

I finally found my voice. "I guess that made what happened even worse than it was." I pointed out guiltily. I was on the border edge of bursting into tears, but I knew that I had no right to shed anything. That was Roxas' and Roxas' right alone.

"I meant what I said, Roxas. I still love you, even now. It's just…a different kind of love." Riku declared quietly to Roxas. He just shook his head and buried it into Axel's chest.

"Sora was right…" Roxas whimpered, "It did make what happens next worse."

_After that, Riku divided his attention between Sora and Roxas when the three weren't all together, and it felt nice. But it still felt…wrong. Whenever Riku kissed him, Roxas didn't just feel sparks. Well, sure, he still felt those, but now it was accompanied by a strange feeling of wrongness. He couldn't explain it. But he remained silent about it. He didn't want to drive Riku away again._

_Riku started sneaking off at random times in the day when it was just the two of them hanging out and Roxas found that he was growing a little less trusting of Riku as the days went on. He still couldn't explain it. But he still didn't say anything._

_Soon the first day of school came and went, and Roxas found he was faced a new problem: Riku's popularity. He started hanging out with the jocks a lot more since he joined the football team, and while he and Sora were always invited to tag along, the rest of the gang wasn't so lucky._

_It hurt Kairi the most, as she used to be on the same pedestal, relationship wise, as Sora. But now she was being traded in for beautiful cheerleaders and older jocks, and that hurt her. Besides that, she and Tidus were starting to have problems. On more than one occasion she would three-way Roxas and Sora on the phone and confess that she just didn't love him anymore, and didn't know what to do._

_Roxas didn't know what to tell her, as those were the same feelings he feared that Riku had just a while back. Any feedback he gave her would just come out insulting and offending. So he pulled away from her._

_He then spent most of his time with Riku, but things weren't the same. Riku wasn't the same. Even naive little Sora noticed this change and had stopped seeing Riku all together. Roxas didn't want to be as brash, seeing as how he just got Riku to notice him again, but he was starting to grow concerned as well._

_He started confiding in Selphie, someone he'd never really spoken to much until then. She always just seemed so bubbly and loud; it kind of repulsed him. But he realized that she wasn't like that on the inside, and so the heartfelt chats began. A beautiful friendship blossomed, and a weak spot for her soon formed._

_But that was beside the point. The point was that Riku was different. And Roxas didn't know what to do._

_His old habits returned, although instead of retreating to the roof again and hope to see the red head that fascinated him so much, he went straight to the restaurant when he was feeling down. There he could just sit and think and stare at the working red head._

_And suddenly, all of his problems disappeared. Sora and Riku started hanging out, Riku started acting like his boyfriend again, and Kairi was brought back into Riku's life. _

_And then…it happened._

_Three weeks later_

"_Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Roxas! Happy birthday to you!" That was what Roxas woke up to that morning. His parents were standing over him with two separate boxes of presents in their arms, and an overwhelming sense of love had filled him. Still, that didn't change the fact that he'd completely forgotten that it was his birthday._

"_Oh yeah. I forgot that today was the day." Roxas said sheepishly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. His mother scoffed but merely straightened, tossing his present on his floor just as he reached for it._

"_Hey!"_

"_No, Roxas, this gift is special. You're not allowed to open it until tonight, when you're with Riku and Sora." His mom explained with a smile. His dad, always the stern one, just handed Roxas his gift with a grunt._

"_Happy birthday, son. Go ahead and open yours." He commanded. Roxas quickly did as he was told, ripping off the wrapping to see…_

_A beautiful silver ring lay nestled inside a tiny black velvet box. Inscribed on it were the words, 'Pain will heal over time. But love and forgiveness are one of a kind.'_

_Roxas looked up at his father with intense blue eyes. Was this an apology for all of the years his father ignored him and treated him like a fellow soldier and not a son?_

"_Roxas…I love you son." His father blurted, embracing Roxas with an awkwardness that should have never been there to begin with. But Roxas recognized the gesture and hugged him back. _

_This birthday would be the start of some wonderful beginnings, he mused._

_When Roxas turned ten, he had been given the sex talk. Along with it came the sexual orientation talk, the attitude talk, and the socially acceptable talk. And ever since he'd had those talks, he'd been dying to have sex._

_Preferably with Riku Tarada, the love of his life, but that was a given. _

_After he'd had that epiphany, he had run to Riku and declared, "Riku. I want sex!"_

_And Riku, who was eleven and obviously so much more mature, had said, "No you don't. It just fascinates you."_

"_Yes I do, Riku! I want to have sex with you!"_

"_Okay," Riku had said with a grin, "We'll be each others' first, no matter what age we do decide on doing it."_

"_Promise?"_

"_Promise."_

_And even three years later, on this birthday date, him just having turned thirteen, he remembered that conversation. And ho boy did he want it._

_It didn't matter that at this age it wasn't socially acceptable. He wanted to be one with Riku, to feel him inside of his deepest core. He wanted that connection. He'd wanted it ever since he'd learned about it. _

_And today would be the day._

_A birthday party worthy of Zeus, three thousand munny, a new camera from Sora (ever since Sora gave Roxas his first camera on his tenth birthday, he'd made it a tradition to give him an upgraded camera) and an awesome khaki jacket with a checkered strip going across it and a red trim (courtesy of Riku, who knows that Roxas favorite color is khaki and favorite pattern is checkers) later, Roxas was in a great state of mind._

_He wrote a romantic note for Riku to meet him at his favorite spot: the strange shaped Papou tree on the beach and gave it to him just as he was leaving the party. Riku acted no differently. So what happened next was a shock._

_Roxas went to the spot that night, a little late because he'd wanted to develop his film for the last time before he used Sora's new one, with his unopened present (he'd figured he'd open it with Riku after they finished making love) and an anxious smile (he was so excitedly nervous.)_

_But what he saw changed him forever._

_Moans of Riku's name spewed out of Sora's mouth like a volcano about to erupt. Sweat poured down their bodies as Riku made love to Sora in _his_ favorite spot, murmuring sweet nothings into the younger boy's ears._

"_I love you, Sora." Riku whispered as his pounding became uncontrollable. Tears of joy and pleasure were streaming down Sora's face as he scraped his nails down Riku's back, drawing blood._

_Roxas' heart broke into two. He could barely even register that he was still standing there, still staring at them as they took each others' virginity. It wasn't until a crackle of thunder sounded, lighting struck, and the screaming of Riku's name filed his senses that he slowly started to back up._

_He didn't know what to do, he mulled, as raindrops began to fall down on him. There was no way things would be the same now, but even behind his deep pain and anger he realized that whatever he did would push them farther away from him._

_Then he would be alone._

_It was starting to really pour, but Roxas didn't care. He found his feet taking him into The Hollow Connection, sitting him down into an empty booth. Ignoring the stares he was receiving, he hollowly ripped open the present._

_It was a huge scrap book filled with pictures of him, Sora and Riku, together forever. Yeah, right. Despite himself, Roxas hugged the book to his chest._

_It would be alright tomorrow. As long as Riku didn't leave him alone, it would be all alright._

_The next morning, Riku was nowhere to be found._

_By that afternoon, it had been discovered that Cloud and Sephiroth eloped, taking Riku with him. _

_It had also been discovered that, as indicated by the text message Riku's grandmother sent, Riku went willingly._

_And Roxas completely shattered._

"And that's when you came to the Hollow Connection that first time I saw you." Axel finished distantly, staring off into space. Roxas just sobbed. I covered my mouth with my left hand. How could I have hurt him like that?

"So…" Axel began, shutting his eyes tightly and struggling to control his voice, "You're the asshole…who broke Roxas' heart…?"

I nodded guiltily. "Yes. And I'm-"

Axel shot me a glare so heatedly cold that I choked on my own words. "Shut up!" He roared, shaking the entire closet. I gulped nervously and by the lack of music outside the closet I could tell that it was silent throughout the house.

"I'm talking to Riku." He ground out, clutching his head. "Well, Tarada?"

Riku was still staring brokenly at Roxas. "Yes." He answered, his voice no higher than a whisper.

Suddenly, with a fury I'd never seen before, Axel lunged at Riku and began to choke him. I screamed and attempted to pull Axel off of him, but he just shoved me off roughly onto the floor. Now, under no circumstances am I weak, but Axel's anger was making him un-humanly strong.

Roxas slowly stood up and placed a hand on Axel's shoulder. "Axel," he began softly, "let him go. It's okay."

Axel shook his head and growled deeper. "It's not okay, Rox. It's NOT okay." But his hold on Riku's throat had loosened considerably.

"Roxas." Riku croaked out, his aquamarine eyes looking serious and solemn. "I…know I've made a lot of mistakes. I really have. And I know that your trust is something that I may never regain. But for what its worth and I know it's not worth much…I'm sorry."

Roxas wiped at his eyes with his sleeve and let out a small bark of laughter. "You're right, it's not worth much." He began to laugh harder.

Despite all that had happened, I found myself laughing with him. There was nothing really particularly funny, but it just struck me how royally me and Riku had screwed up. And for some reason, that was funny.

Riku even let out a hoarse chuckle. It was Axel, however, who didn't find the humor.

"What the fuck?! Roxas! He broke your heart, and you're just going to forgive him and laugh? Just like that?"

Roxas took Axel's hands from Riku's throat and placed them within in his own with a watery smile.

"Just like that. You know something? As I was standing here recounting my side of the story, I realized something. My whole life has been wrapped around Riku. I've been letting him control my happiness and my emotions ever since I moved here. When you attacked him, at first, I felt a sense of vengeance, because I wanted him to feel the pain I went through. But then, I noticed that he was once again deciding what made me happy, even if that happiness spurred from revenge.

"So now, I'm just going to…let it go. By forgiving him, I'm relinquishing his hold on me. By forgiving him, I'm finally taking control of my own emotions, and I'm finally deciding what makes me happy. And Axel? _You_ make me happy."

Axel blinked for a second before his entire demeanor softened. "Likewise, Rocky."

"But…sometimes that isn't enough," Roxas continued, his voice going flat, "to maintain a relationship."

Axel furrowed his brow. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that as long as you're getting serious with Namine, I just can't continue to date you." Roxas finished, looking away from him. My mouth fell open in shock. WHAT?

"Sora was right. I deserve better than being just another notch on your belt. It's time you decided just what exactly it is that you want." He declared confidently.

And just like that, the doors opened and Roxas strode out, ignoring the stares he was receiving and the shocked look that had blossomed on Axel's face.

"What the- Roxas!" Axel stormed out of the closet and sped after him, leaving me and Riku to ourselves…well, minus the crowd that had formed at least.

Riku wouldn't look at me. And I can't explain it but…it hurt. It hurt a lot.

Biting my lip, I dejectedly crawled out to see the tearful faces of almost everyone at the party. Great. Did the whole island hear what a jerk I was?

Kairi was the first to speak. "Uh…um, okay! Let's get this party started again! All is forgiven, and we can't forget who we're here for!"

"RIKU!" They all shouted, grabbing Riku and pulling him back onto the dance floor. I blinked after them. Well, I guess some things never change. Even so, I had been hoping, maybe, that we could talk. But I guess that was out of the question.

Not that it mattered. It was apparent that he didn't want to talk to me anyway…

**Enter Leon:**

They were going to be late.

This was his big chance to woo Cloud, and they were going to be late. All thanks to Yuffie and the stupid mission that she just _had _to involve him in. He told her that he couldn't help her tonight, but she insisted, and he could never resist Yuffie when she got like that.

Didn't matter, though. He still wasn't speaking to her.

"Look, I'm sorry, alright? I didn't think that a couple of freaking heartless would take so much time!" Yuffie whined, tugging on his arm. Leon rolled his eyes, but he addressed her pathetic excuse anyway.

"Yuffie, you _know _that Malicefant is getting stronger with each day. It's only natural that the heartless would too." He pointed out, sharing a serious glance with John, the driver. It was true. If the guardians didn't hurry up and train the chosen ones, the mercenaries would be knee deep in missions. And that wouldn't bode well for their rivalry, since they weren't even allowed to _touch_ Malicefant without permission from the guardians.

"I guess I'm still trying to believe that the Organization really didn't betray us." Yuffie said quietly, for once the seriousness evident in her voice. "I guess I'm trying to hold on to the small thread of hope that says they'll come back."

Leon sighed and took Yuffie's hand with an awkwardness that resulted from years of locking his heart away. "I know." He whispered comfortingly, allowing her to squeeze his hand.

"I know."

John glanced up at them through his rear view mirror and cleared his throat loudly. "We're practically here. Leon, don't you have a Cloud to woo?"

"Hell yeah! John, you are totally on the ball with that one! You go get your man, Squall!"

"Yuffie?"

"Yeah, Squally?"

"Shut the hell up and stop calling me Squall."

And with that, the limo sped down the street, serving as a chariot for Leon's soon-to-be Cinderella.

Little did they see, however, that a shiny black Volvo was following them in the distance, foreshadowing an incoming disaster.

**Enter Zexion**:

Windows?

Check.

Chimney?

Check.

All doors?

Check.

Zexion silently fingered the gun in his jean pocket.

Gun?

Check.

That seemed to be everything he could do for the innocent people who were here. All he could do was block the barricade and hope that no one got in. Because at this point, leaving would only do more harm than help. He'd locked and chained each area that he'd mentally just checked off, but there hadn't been much he could do with the front door. If he chained that, everyone would freak and want to leave. But not chaining it seemed like he was inviting the Organization in.

Besides that, it wasn't uncommon for party goers to be really late to parties. He glanced down at his watch. What time was it? It was nine o'clock, three hours since the party started. He had a long ways to go before he deemed it safe.

His only choice was to sit on a chair against the door, and survey its ringers before he let anyone in. Sure, it wasn't the most enjoyable activity, and sure, he didn't get to be with Demyx.

But in a way, this was guaranteeing that he _would_ be later on.

So here he sat, glaring at nothing in particular with his hair covering his eye and his black hood covering his head. He looked like a damn emo kid. Curse his small build and teenagers' ability to stereotype…

A couple of minutes ago his source of entertainment had been the double-door closet that was the closest room to him. He had noticed immediately that you couldn't really open it from the inside, but that was a fact that seemed to miss Riku…and that clumsy, awkward kid that Riku liked…and then that screaming couple.

He idly wondered if they knew that, by raising their voices, almost everyone could hear every single fucking detail of their twisted love triangle. Probably not. Slowly but surely a crowd started forming once the shouting had started…quite amusing actually.

Zexion's pocket began to vibrate. Blinking at it, he reached his hand inside and pulled out a sleek, impersonal silver cell phone. It was nothing special on the outside, but on the inside it had the same features on his car, his laptop, and iPod. Hey, those were the perks to being tight with the Organization.

Flipping it open, a glance told him he had gotten a text from Demyx.

**Zexy, where are you??**

The corners of Zexion's lips tilted upwards as he replied:

**Why don't you take a guess?**

The message was sent with a happy envelope going into cyberspace. That was another interesting little fact about him and Demyx. Neither of them liked to use abbreviations or IM speak, as they called it. Both of them typed out all of their words with normal accuracy.

Another rumble.

_**Oh, so you want to play it that way, Sexy Zexy? Alright, well…the bathroom? No, no, you pissed before we came, and you couldn't be jerking off because now you have me to do that for you.**_

Zexion's face broke out into a full blown grin now as he texted back quickly.

_**Cold. You're getting way cold.**_

"Hey…how are you doing? Can I get you a drink?" His text conversation was interrupted by a tall pretty girl trying to flirt with him. He looked her over. Meh, she was cute enough. But she was _way_ too tall. Besides…

"I'm gay." He said simply before turning his eyes back to his phone.

_**I don't know, Zexy, I think my body has to disagree with you there. Just thinking about you jerking off in the bathroom right now has got me on fire. So where are you really? Well you couldn't possibly be in my pants since I've been trying to get you in there since we met.**_

This time Zexion burst out laughing. Jeez, Demyx was dirty when he was texting!

"What the- Roxas!" The tall, alluring red head that had been in the closet shouted, following the cute little blonde boy who looked slightly empowered at the moment. "Are you fucking _breaking up_ with me?"

The blonde swirled around and glared at him. It wasn't an angry glare, per say; it was more frustrated than anything else. "No Axel, I'm giving you a choice."

His eyes shifted from the red head to the little blonde girl behind them, who was toying nervously with the side of her hair.

He looked back at the red head with a sad smile. "A choice that you're obviously not willing to make."

Zexion watched with detached interest as he waited for the red head to say something, anything to get the blond, who had walked off, to come back. But instead all he did was clutch his heart like it was hurting him, and go to the kitchen to get a beer.

He shook his head. Obviously whatever ultimatum that the blonde had given him was too much for the red head to handle.

Another rumbling made him remember what he had been doing.

_**You still there?**_

Zexion glanced back up at the crowd that had formulated. Riku was being dragged out of it and whisked away to the dance floor, not even noticing that his little love interest was gazing after them, looking every bit as sad as a kicked puppy.

He scowled. What the hell? Riku does all of this to make that kid forgive him, and then he just leaves him like that, after what seemed to be a very emotional discussion?

Damn. He'd have to go to Riku's defense.

_**I'll come find you later, Dem.**_

He texted quickly only to receive another text a couple of seconds later.

_**I'll be waiting.**_

Zexion slid the phone back into his pocket with a sigh. He peeked out the window. No one was there. There were no cars passing by the house and all of her neighbors seemed to be asleep. Good. That meant everything should be okay if he left his post for a while.

He had just walked over near the little brunette klutz when a lean, muscled guy with long black hair got up in his personal bubble. He growled, frustrated. What the fuck now?

"What?" He snapped at him. The guy chuckled darkly. He reached up tucking Zexion's hanging hair behind his ear. Zexion glared up at him and pulled it back out. He did _not _appreciate anyone touching him other than Dem and Riku.

"Oh, I like em' with an attitude. I'm Harrison, you're new fuck buddy." He introduced, bowing towards Zexion. He stared at him, quite disgusted.

"Why don't you just do yourself a big favor and FUCK OFF?" Zexion retorted, bringing up his knee and colliding it with the guy's gut. He doubled over and groaned, but not before reaching out and grabbing Zexion's wrist, catching him off guard and pulling him towards him.

"Look you little shit, that wasn't an option. It was a promise. Now you can act like the stubborn bastard I know you are and cause me to get angry or you can come with me and get an amazing night of passion. It's your call." He hissed in his ear. Zexion smirked and was just about to reach in his hoodie for his book until he was tossed to the ground.

He looked up, confusedly. Coconut was holding the guy up by the neck, glaring up at him.

"You left out the third option. You getting the shit beat out of you." Coconut spat, delivering an amazing uppercut to the guy's jaw. Unfortunately, his shoe laces got tangled up together and he lost his footing, falling straight forward and onto his face.

It didn't matter; actually, the damage had been done. The guy scurried off embarrassedly. Zexion stood up and walked over to Coconut, offering a hand.

"Here, I got you."

Coconut smiled up at him sheepishly and took his hand, bouncing up on his feet. Even then he stumbled a bit. Despite that little display of pure clumsiness, Zexion was impressed. But he should have known that a love interest of Riku's would have to be able to defend themselves. Riku was just picky like that.

"Thanks, Coconut. He caught me off guard there for a second."

Coconut blinked. "Coconut? Who's that?"

He frowned. Maybe he was wrong; maybe he _was_ a clumsy idiot. "You?"

Coconut blinked for a couple of more seconds before finally something clicked. His expression cleared and he began to laugh. "You mean _Kiwi_?"

Now it was his turn to blink. Kiwi…is_ that_ the fruit Riku called him? Oh. Huh. It _was_ Kiwi.

"Oh. I suppose I do. I apologize."

Kiwi smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, you must be friends with Riku. Actually, my name is Sora. He just calls me Kiwi because…" He paused, almost looking away as if something had suddenly hurt him.

"…he likes you?" Zexion supplied, regarding this Sora was suddenly exhausted eyes. What had he been thinking, coming over here? He had his own problems to deal with. Sora just shrugged non-committed.

"Maybe. I guess."

Zexion sighed and took Sora's hand, leading him to an empty area. He sat him down on a couch and sat across from him, ignoring the baffled look he was receiving.

"Look. I don't know you very well. In fact, I don't know you at all. But I know Riku. And I know that there must be something different about you that he likes. Besides that, I know you have to be someone intelligent for him to even consider you for a crush. So you've got to use that brain of yours." Zexion stressed, tapping Sora in the middle of his forehead.

Sora winced and frowned. "Huh?"

Zexion sighed. "Why would he be willing to hurt a guy he'd been with for about five years or so for you? Why would he come back after three years and beg your forgiveness? Why would he _fucking wait in a closet for an hour_ just to be given instructions on how to get you back?"

"I-I-"

"Because he still loves you, Sora. He still likes you, and he obviously wants to be with you. Riku…does a lot of things that he doesn't mean anything by. The teasing, the manipulating, the flirting…it's all just part of him. So if he comes across as if he's ignoring you…"

Sora's cheeks flushed and he suddenly got angry. "Why wouldn't he look at me, then? Why wouldn't he step up and admit that he loves me like you say he does? Why won't he tell me why he left me?" He shouted.

Zexion stood up as well. "Why were you hiding the fact that you've been hanging out with Riku from Roxas? Why did you two hide it back then?" He shot back.

Sora's face fell and his shoulders slumped. "We were scared that if he found out, we would lose him."

"Could it be possible that Riku is afraid that if he tells you everything, he'll lose you as well? He's already lost Roxas…"

Sora opened his mouth sharply as if he were about to retort something, but no words came out. Zexion hid a smug smile as Sora's mouth opened and closed like a fish as he tried to find the correct response. Finally, Zexion answered for him.

"You should try and talk to him. If my observations are correct, he probably thinks that _you _don't want to talk to _him_."

Sora looked up at him with wide blue eyes. Despite himself, something tugged in his heart.

"I think what your problem is, Sora," Zexion finished with a sigh, "Is that you've been trying so hard to hate Riku to make up for what you've done to Roxas, that you haven't even taken the time to evaluate your true feelings."

"But I…no. You're right." Sora reasoned, looking up at him with a smile. "I can see why Riku is friends with you."

Zexion smirked, and prepared to compliment him as well, but a knock on the door grabbed both of their attention. He growled.

The guests had arrived.

**Enter Cloud:**

That's right, folks…he was _still _drinking.

He'd actually lost count of how many he'd had; all Cloud knew was that he was bound to get alcohol poisoning at this rate. Jeez, he'd admit it: he was being way too dramatic about his situation. Hell, some people had it a lot worse than he did and _they_ didn't try to drink themselves into oblivion.

Then again…he wasn't them.

Notoriously, Cloud was one of those drunks who barely showed any symptoms. He didn't slur his words, he didn't start complaining about how his life sucked…he may giggle more than usual, but it's not like that was a big deal.

He even managed to have a slightly clear head through his drunken stupor. Hence why he was drinking so much. Well, okay, maybe some things were a little fuzzy, like his memory, or his perceptions on what were happening, but other than that…clear as the sky.

For example, he blinked and suddenly he was surrounded by teenage girls. Uh, okaaaay. How long had he been in the lion's den? And where was Sora and Riku? Wasn't he supposed to chaperoning them or something?

"So…how old are you, Cloud?" One teenage girl asked, clutching his arm. He furrowed his brow disapprovingly at her. He'd told them his _name_?

"Old enough to know that this is quite illegal." He pointed out, walking away from them. He could hear them sighing in disappointment, but he didn't care.

Another blink and he hear people knocking at the door. Huh. That was funny; why would anyone be three hours late that Kairi didn't know about? She was standing a little ways from him, her eyes glued confusedly at the door with a beautiful brunette girl next to her, holding her hand.

Zexion, Riku's best friend and practically his brother back at Bastian Bay, had his hand inside of his jacket, a move Cloud remembered he only did when he was about to whip out some sort of weapon.

Alright, alright. He wasn't so incoherent that he didn't recognize when he needed to do his part as chaperone.

Cloud made his way to the door, pausing only to touch Zexion's shoulder comfortingly and give Kairi a reassuring smile. He took a deep breath; not because he was nervous, but because it would be pretty embarrassing if he barfed or something in front of everybody.

"Cloud, wait don't-" Zexion had tried, but it was too late. Cloud had already whipped open the door, not even bothering with checking through the peephole to see who it was. And who it was…shocked him to the core.

"L-Leon?" He forced out, nearly choking on his own words. Sure, he'd seen Leon only yesterday, but he'd never seen Leon like…this.

He had his hair out of its normal professional style; it was down and to his shoulders and had his bangs falling into his beautiful gray eyes. His pants were almost impossibly tight, hugging his ridiculously chiseled ass in just the right places and….oh, _god_…

Those muscles…those beautiful, tanned muscles that were radiating such a warm, inviting aura, so unlike Sephiroth's cold beauty.

No, nothing about Leon said 'cold.' In fact, everything seemed to scream 'HOT!'

"Hey, Cloud…mind if we crash your party?" Leon asked seductively, causing Cloud to actually wobble a bit on his legs. His legs had seriously just turned to jelly.

"Yes! YES I MIND!" Riku shouted from where he was being forced to dance with Demyx, but no one paid him any attention.

"N-No! Of course not! Come on in!" He stammered, opening the door even wider to invite him in. Leon smirked and peered over his shoulder at Yuffie, who merely smirked on back.

"I told ya' the black shirt was a good idea." She muttered as they followed Cloud into the threshold. Leon winked back at her.

"Remind me to let you pick out my clothes more often." He murmured back.

Cloud was freaking out. This was supposed to be a man-less day! What the hell? Well, yeah, alright, so it wasn't like he was really complaining but…

Still. Sexy Leon in the house after he'd had a countless number of beers would not bode well.

"Do you want something? Samuel Adams? Miller Lite? Budweiser? Sex on the Beach?" He offered without thinking. When Leon raised an eyebrow at the last option, Cloud quickly scrambled to make up for it. What were some appropriate drinks? "Uh…Ecstasy? Screaming Orgasm?"

Well, fuck.

Yuffie burst out laughing and Leon gave him a slow, sexy smile. "I'll have a Screaming Orgasm. But only if you're the one who gives it to me."

Cloud seriously cursed the laws of physics. If only the floor could swallow him up _right now_…

"Do you want your drink, or what? Or were you just flirting with Cloud?" The slightly annoyed voice of Roxas came from behind them. All three of them turned around to see Roxas holding out a glass full of the alcoholic substance with an impatient frown on his cute little face.

Yuffie poked him in the forehead. "Aren't you a little too young to be mixing drinks, Haiku?"

Roxas regarded his combat teacher with exhaustion. "Aren't you a little too_ old_ to be at a high school party, Miss Yuffie?"

Yuffie gaped like a fish before scowling. "I have half a mind to fail you for that."

"Do all the teenagers on the island have an attitude?" Leon whispered to Cloud. He smirked and ruffled Roxas' hair proudly.

"Of course! He learned it from yours truly."

"**Yo, yo, yo! It's Demyx on the DJ stand, and I'm here to get this party back on a roll! There's a little too much drama and not enough partying, so let's start up again with a song that everyone can jam to!"**

Leon and Cloud both looked at each other as the DJ's voice filled the air, gaining everyone's attention in the house. They all wanted to know what song he'd be playing next.

"_Well she's not bleeding on the ballroom floor…_

_Just for the attention_

_Cause' that's just ridiculous…ly odd."_

Cheers erupted around the house, and what seemed like_ everybody_ flooded to the dance floor. Of course Demyx would choose one of the best party songs there is.

Even Roxas was putting his drink mixers down and preparing to go out on the dance floor. And the boy barely shuffled his feet.

"Hey…you want to dance?" Some random teenage boy asked Yuffie, taking a sip of his Budweiser. Yuffie giggled and took his hand, ignoring the scandalized look on Leon's face. "Hey, if you got it, flaunt it! Besides, it's just dance." Yuffie insisted as she was dragged to the dance floor.

Cloud watched them before turning back to Leon, startled to see the sexy man staring dead at him. Jeez…way to make someone's heart race….

"_She sure is gonna get it._

_Here's the setting: fashion magazines on the walls, now._

_The walls line the bullet holes…"_

"Dance?" Leon offered, raising an eyebrow as to ask the question for him. Cloud bit his lip and clutched his beer tighter. It wasn't like he was about to fuck the man again. Besides, no one would even see him.

"Uh…sure."

"_Have some composure, where is your posture?_

_You're pulling a trigger, pulling a trigger…_

_Oh, no, no!_

_You're pulling the trigger_

_Pulling the trigger_

_All wrong…"_

Leon was a surprisingly good dancer. Not as good as Cloud, but he kept up pretty well. And Leon _wasn't_ a stripper/ exotic dancer.

Then again, most of what Leon was doing was in reaction to something Cloud did.

Cloud grinded his backside into Leon's hips and wrapped an arm around his neck, breaking into a grin when he felt something hard poke him in his lower back.

"You like this, huh?" He shouted to him above the music. He could feel Leon chuckle against his back.

"_Give me envy, give me malice, give me your attention_

_Give me envy, give me malice, baby, give me a break!"_

"What tipped you off?" He answered sarcastically. He kissed the back of Cloud's neck just as Cloud reached back and grabbed the older man's ass. Leon bit down on Cloud's neck in surprise. Both moaned simultaneously.

"_When I say 'shotgun' you say 'wedding'_

'_Shotgun' 'Wedding' 'Shotgun' 'Wedding!'"_

"Cloud, you are just too good; you don't even know." Leon whispered into his ear, causing a shudder to go down Cloud's spine.

Leon didn't have any clue how right that was.

**Enter Zexion:**

"_She didn't choose this role_

_But she'll play it and make it sincere_

_So you cry, you cry"_

His calculations were incorrect. The Organization hadn't arrived yet. He checked his watch again. It had been three hours and thirty minutes since the party had started. If the Organization had planned to come, shouldn't they have come already?

"Are you alright? You're been staring at the door ever since Leon got here." Sora asked him, waving a hand back and forth in front of his face. Zexion blinked and nodded absently.

"Yeah, I guess I'm alright. I've just kind of been expecting something horrible to happen…but it hasn't yet."

"_But they believe it from the tears_

_And the teeth right down to the blood_

_At her feet"_

Sora blinked a couple of times but otherwise didn't say anything. Both just stood there in silence for a while before Sora finally just shrugged and gave a little sigh.

"I guess I better go find, Riku, huh?"

"Correct. Go find him."

"Oh, by the way. What's your name?"

"It's…Zexion."

"Oh. That's a pretty name. But, then again, you are quite pretty. Well, see you later!"

And with that, Zexion's first encounter with Sora was over, leaving Zexion smiling to himself. Alright, alright, so the little klutz was worthy of Riku. He just hoped Riku wouldn't screw this up this time.

And suddenly, at the exact, rare moment when Zexion was so got off guard that he'd forgotten to lock the door, it swung open. Three cloaked, masked men towered over him, and Zexion tried to jump back, to himself time to get out his weapons, but time just wasn't on his side.

Simultaneously, three arms reached down and grabbed Zexion by the throat and tugged him out the door.

The door shut with a _bang!_ making the house jump a little bit.

But no one noticed the disappearance of Zexion, dragged and vanished into the beautiful, silent darkness.

"_Boys will be boys_

_Hiding in estrogen and wearing Aubergine dreams…"_

* * *

**Song: Time to Dance by Panic! At the Disco (good song, you should listen to it)**

**:hides from akuroku fans: Don't hate me! You know it was coming! Axel can't have it both ways. Besides, I like an empowered Roxas. Alright guys, don't exhale that held breath, we still have part two of the party! I do have to say though, part two will not have NEARLY as much drama, but it'll have most of the fun and the games I know you guys really want. And action. And the rest of my hidden characters.**

**Riku...! Huh. Dunno what to say, really. Poor Roxas?**

**Oh, and part two won't be as long. Seriously.**


	11. The Supernatural

**Hey guys, yes, I'm back, after an insanely long four months. I'm really sorry about the wait, because I know how it feels to wait for something you love to read. But life was working against this fic, guys. I must have rewritten this baby about five different times. Not only that, but my summer has been really busy, actually. I think my relative gets more computer time than I do. But...on a brighter note, I updated! **

**Reviewers:**

**calmxbeforexthexstorm: **Oh wow, this made you do a cartwheel! Zexion...you'll see. And yes, lots o' drama. Degrassi style, yo. Thanks for reviewing!

**Scootkadoot:** Lol, well I hope you're not expecting an epic short chapter, because you're not going to get one here. Another long and epic chappie! Sorry for leaving you hanging! But now here's an update...so yeah! Thanks!

**SuperFriendlySoraFan203: **Hahaha, I wish I was there too. Oh, and thank you so much for reviewing all this time. I noticed you have reviewed every chapter so far! Thanks you!

**RecklessxDreamer:** Zomg, I know. This chapter is long too. But yep, we finally know what went down. Lol, don't be like Sora! Don't forget to breathe! Gracias for reviewing!

**Freya-san: **Lol, I stayed after for the credits, too. I know, I got some newfound respect for Jesse now. Thanks...sometimes I feel like the character development is the hardest part for me, so thank you!

**-siarafaerie-101-miss:** Thank you for the review!

**midnightvisions: **Whee, thank you for reading! Lol, yeah, I kinda feel bad for some of the things I put them through, too. Lol, Kairi and Yuna...thanks for reviewing!

**Chronos Mephistopheles: **Haha, well I accidentally made it insanely long again. And yeah, I do that when I'm reading too. I hope that means it's a good story? Thank you so much!

**Okay, here is the long awaited part two!**

* * *

**Enter ??:**

The three kidnappers dragged Zexion's small, lithe frame off of the porch and into the conspicuous black car with haste. It was their asses on the line if they screwed this up- Marluxia was known to be mental when he didn't get his way.

"Chap, it's been for fucking ever since I kidnapped someone like this. It feels fucking good! I could fucking SCREAM-"

"Shut _up!_ Do you _want_ to have everyone inside find out he's missing?"

"Well, my bloody, fucking bad, alright?"

The two arguing men abruptly stopped upon noting that their third companion was simply staring moodily at the house. Besides that, Zexion had taken to retaliating- so arguing at the time would have to wait.

"What's up, Xiggie? You got your head in the game?" One asked this 'Xiggie', crawling into the passenger seat beside him. The other was stuck fending off Zexion's attacks. They'd hurriedly stuffed him in a bag (lord knows the man was small enough to fit in one) after wrestling him onto the porch, so it wasn't like they'd had time to tie it or anything. His jaw was starting to deeply regret it.

Xiggie sighed irritably. "What the hell do you think, man? I just kidnapped my fucking brother!"

The attacking body suddenly stopped. "X-Xig…Xiggie?" Zexion called out weakly.

Xigbar rubbed a palm over his eyes. "Yeah, Zex. It's me."

"Why did you guys kidnap me? Xiggie...Luxord…Saix…why?"

All three were silent. No one knew what to say…what they _could_ say.

"Well can I at least get out of this bag?" He tried instead, going for a different approach. The three men exchanged glances. Zexion used to be pretty trustworthy, minus the whole escape clause and such. And Xiggie really wanted to be the good brother he never was to Zex.

"Let 'em out, Lux." Xiggie ordered. Saix and Luxord exchanged hesitant looks before dumping Zexion's small frame to the floor, to his vexation.

Once he managed to get his bearings, he sat up, plopping back down next to Luxord and folding his arms across his chest. He glared hatefully at the man next to him. "What the fuck is this about?"

"What happened to his weak little voice?" Saix murmured under his breath, but Zexion ignored him. He was already doing all he could to remain trustworthy and not beat the living daylights out of them for kidnapping him in the first place; he just had to keep telling himself that they weren't personally doing this, but Marluxia…

He scowled. That asshole.

"Look, the Organization really had planned to leave you alone. I mean, we're not stupid. We realized that by ordering Xiggie to kill Demyx that you would want nothing to do with us. But something terrible is going to happen to us, to everybody, if we don't help. We need you, Zex. And we need Demyx too." Saix answered, finally letting all of their differences disappear and getting to the point of the act. Zexion's glare didn't waver.

"Demyx is dead, remember?"

Now it was Luxord's turn to glare. "Do you think we're bloody idiots? We knew from the start that Xiggie didn't kill the chap. The only ones who didn't know were Maleficent, and you."

Zexion remained silent. The three in the car all stared at him, just waiting for him to say something, but Zexion didn't trust himself to speak. They deliberately allowed him to grieve silently for five years with the death of his loved one, for…for what?

"Why?" He finally asked slowly and softly, his voice nothing but a whisper.

Xiggie at least had the decency to look apologetic. "We actually didn't know that you guys had a thing going. We didn't think you'd take it so hard…but we still couldn't tell you. The reasons being-"

"One: Marluxia ordered us not to, and you've seen Luxy on his bad days. Two: We didn't realize how deep you were connected to him until it was too late, and by that point if we had told you then you would have left to go find him. We're all generally selfish creatures; we wanted you to stay with us-" Saix cut in, only to be interrupted himself.

"And three: You have the bloody, fucking book. That book is a gift, but it's also a curse, Zex. The more you don't use it, and the more you don't know, the less Maleficent does. It was her book, so because _she's_ still connected to it, she's connected to _you_. She surely would have taken Demyx if she had realized he was still alive, and contrary to popular belief, the Organization loves Demyx." Luxord finished, letting his gaze wander to the house that was now a couple blocks down from them. "Unfortunately, it seems as if you know that he doesn't chum in the afterlife."

Zexion's face remained carefully emotionless as he stared Luxord down. "I have no clue what you're talking about. Demyx has been dead for five years, check the records."

Xiggie rolled his eyes and shifted in his seat to look at Zexion from the back of the head rest. "Oh come off it, Zex. Saix_ made_ those records. Besides, we saw your little boyfriend inside when we snatched you."

Zexion finally allowed a twinkle of worry to mar his face. "So…this….terrible thing you speak of. Why does it require Demyx? And what does Maleficent want with him in the first place?" He inquired.

"The somebody of Demyx's original soul, for Demyx is a reincarnation from a past life, remember? Anyway, that somebody was the only son of King Triton of Atlantica, the only heir to the triton. If Maleficent got her hands on Demyx, she could pose him as that son and get her hands on that power. With that power, she could create an army of heartless that could take over the world!" Xigbar explained, his eyes widening at the prospect of a world in complete darkness.

Zexion's heart had begun to beat irregularly. That whole process would definitely require Demyx to be dead. Maleficent could only bend people to her will that were dead.

"So why kidnap me?" He asked, forcing the hidden emotion from his voice. The three men all looked at him skeptically.

"Oh come on, would you have really listened to us otherwise? You still thought we were bloody murders!" Luxord exclaimed, causing Saix and Xiggie to chuckle. Zexion even allowed a small bark of laughter to escape him. It was true.

"Here's what's happening right now. We're going to leave Demyx here for one night, because it's safer that he's with all the guardians and the mercenaries where they can protect him in a conspicuous way. Meanwhile, we're taking you to go talk to Marluxia, you 

know, get all the info and what not. We'll figure out our plan from there." Saix explained. Xigbar stopped at a red light and turned around to face Zexion again.

"The only thing we're having a problem with right now is how to protect Riku and his friends from Maleficent's goons." Xiggie admitted with a sheepish shrug. "It's quite embarrassing, really."

The light turned green and the conspicuous black car went speeding down the empty road. Zexion watched the scenery go by in thought. He just couldn't leave without knowing that Demyx and Riku would be okay. He would even be sad if Coconut was hurt. He had to help them.

Zexion suddenly smirked. "Leave it all to me."

* * *

"**Riku's Welcome Back Party! Part Two**

**Or**

"**The Supernatural"**

* * *

**Enter Riku:**

Where was Zexion?

Demyx was freaking out, looking for him like a mad man, but I didn't go over and comfort him or anything. I mean, first of all, I just met the guy today. I have no clue what words to say to bring him up back to his normal, cheery state. And two, if Zexion just left for no reason and wanted me to support his excuse, it'd be best to steer clear until then.

As the song changed from the fast paced beats of 'Don't Stop the Music' to the ridiculous sounds of Hannah Montana, my eyes flitted across the dance floor, searching for the head of chocolate, unruly spikes. No sign of him. I let out a soft sigh of relief. It's not like I was avoiding Kiwi, because that's just silly. That's funny. Really, you slay me!

Alright, I'm caught. I'm kind of avoiding him. But it's not like I was doing it to purposely make him feel bad. I was doing it because I was scared.

I never really knew how much of a jerk I was to Roxas, and even Sora, back then until I heard it first hand from the guy who'd know it best. And now…my confidence was slowly being replaced by doubt. No wonder its taking Sora this long to forgive me. No wonder Roxas hates me. I'm not even worth their time.

And if Sora knew the truth- the real reason I acted the way I did, he would never understand. He would hate me, and he would hate who I am.

And I was terrified of that.

My jean pocket vibrated and I was suddenly forced out of my thoughts. I had been standing in the middle of the dance floor while everyone else grinded and danced in what seemed like a fast-forwarded effect. Lovely. Now I was the leading actor in some angst teen movie.

It appeared I was receiving a call from Zex, the bitch. I flipped it open with vigor and left the dance floor, going to the bathroom- that was surprisingly empty (guess no one was that drunk yet) - and locking the door.

"Where the hell are you?" I demanded, flicking my sweat-filled bangs out of my eyes. I squinted at the mirror and reflection. I looked so pathetic and panicked. God, when did I become such a Prima-Dona?

There was a pause on the other line, before Zexion spoke, his voice sounding low and urgent. "Look, I was kidnapped, but I'm fine. No need to go in labor, Tarada. But I need you to do me a huge favor. It's essential that you do this."

I was still stuck on the kidnapping part of that response. "K-Kidnapped?! Where are you, I'll come and get you…it was the Organization, wasn't it? I swear once I get my hands on them-"

"Riku." Zexion cut me off with a sharp, frustrated hiss of my name. "I. Am. Fine. Don't come get me, and don't make the Organization your enemy. They're not the bad guy here. I just need you to do me this one favor, and I _promise_ that it'll all be okay."

Zexion sounded so grave and stressed…the boy was serious. I watched as my reflection ran a hand through my wet hair and I sighed. "Fine; you know I'm always here for you. What needs to be done?"

"I need you to keep every single person inside. I don't care how you do it, just make sure no one gets in, and no one gets out. If they do…someone will lose a life." Zexion explained swiftly, sounding like he was trying to give me some kind of secret message. "_Every_one."

By everyone, did he mean Demyx? Zexion has never told me the details of him and Demyx's past relationship, but I know that Zexion had betrayed him in a serious, life-altering way. And now that he had him back, I guess he doesn't want to lose him. But why would he be mainly concerned about protecting him from the Organization specifically? What kind of shit could _Demyx's_ be in? The boy was a freaking angel!

"Uh, alright, man." I chewed on my thumbnail in thought. How the hell was I going to do that? Roxas would probably try to leave at any time, and there had been other fights going on like crazy. Chances are fifty percent of the party-goers were getting ready to leave.

But hey, I told Zexion I would do something, and I can't go back on my word. Zexion's done so much for me already. It was time to give something back.

Zexion sighed in relief on the other end of the phone. "I knew you could handle it. Thanks for this; you're my most trusted friend on this earth, and I know that's pretty pathetic because it's _you_, but it's true."

I laughed and gave him a playful scowl even though I knew he couldn't see it. "Gee, good to know that I'm so admired. Anyway, I got you covered, dude. You just handle your business and be back as soon as possible. Demyx's having a bigger meltdown than Britney Spears."

"Noted. Well…goodbye for now, friend." And with that, the line went dead. I pocketed my phone again and glanced into the mirror one last time. My reflection showed a boy…one who seemed like a stranger to me. Oh, how pathetic. I couldn't even recognize my own damn self.

I left the bathroom and stood in the middle of the hallway, thinking. How the hell was I going to do this? I needed help, and I needed it fast.

I had to find Roxas, Axel, Kairi…and Sora.

**Enter Kairi**:

Kairi watched as Yuna took a long gulp of her coke (because goddesses didn't drink alcohol- of course!) with envious eyes. The way her tongue flicked out to get the last 

droplets on the bottle was just too much to watch without wishing it was some part of her body that Yuna was licking.

She widened her eyes. Whoa, uncalled for, Kairi! Get a hold of yourself! First off, Yuna was not in any way gay, and second off, she was totally taken by a great guy, one that Kairi had personally dated! So she understood how amazingly awesome that Tidus could be when he really wanted to.

But she couldn't help who she was crazily infatuated with. She just wished that she was someone cooler, or smarter, or just more interesting so Yuna could see her as a potential lover! Oh, how cruel the fates were!

"Okay, my turn. What is the most painful thing you've ever experienced?" Yuna finally asked her when she put her coke down, resting her head on the railing. They were both lounging on Kairi's balcony, sitting with their legs dangling over the edge. Yuna had had the idea of asking each other questions to get to know each other, and they had been going back and forth, just the two of them, learning things about each other this way. Kairi didn't understand how she ever got to know someone without it!

"Well, I remember it was three years ago. Riku had just started high school, and we all thought it wouldn't change anything." Kairi said softly, bringing her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her knees.

"But it did?" Yuna guessed, giving her a small smile. Kairi returned it automatically.

"Oh yeah. He ditched us all. But the worst part was that when all was forgiven, he didn't come back to me. He cut me out of our circle of friends. Sora was his best friend, Roxas was his boyfriend, Tidus, Wakka and the rest of the guys were his boys, but me…I was nothing to him." Kairi confessed, looking out in the sea of lights that was her neighborhood.

Truth was that that little incident had really hurt her. She usually made herself forget about it, but when Roxas had recalled it when he was explaining it to Axel, it brought back a flood of emotion. Sure, Riku had apologized profusely for it, but…it still hurt.

Yuna sighed and scooted closer to her, wrapping an arm around her. "Oh Kairi…people have no idea how special you are."

Kairi laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. It was kind of raspy and bitter, and it just burst out of her like little shutters of irony. "Please. I'm not special. I'm just the girl that everyone knows; I'm the back-up friend. I have no special skills, no amazing traits, I can't-"

But that was all Kairi got to explain. Because the next thing she knew, this wonderful strange feeling was washing over her, and the feel of the softest lips she'd ever felt were on hers.

The really sad thing about the whole situation was that Kairi, throughout the whole kiss, kept noticing other things she hadn't noticed before. Like the way the wind had this annoying tendency of blowing her bangs into her eyes, or the way the house across from hers lights kept flickering on and off like some type of horror thing.

And as Yuna explored the inside of her mouth and as Kairi ran her fingers through Yuna's hair, her mind kept flashing to memories of Tidus, and how he used to talk about what he wanted to do when he was older.

"When I'm older," he would begin, as they both lay together in the sand on the beach, "I want to save someone's life. I mean, like really stop someone from dying."

Why Kairi would be thinking about that was beyond her comprehension, but her mind and her conscience wouldn't let her just enjoy this damn kiss. She'd wanted it for so long; it was like she didn't know how to accept it properly in her own mind.

Maybe that's why she couldn't seem to just shut her eyes and relax. Then again, it could've been a good thing. Because when she absently glanced down at her house beneath her, she caught a glance of two figures come out from thin air, dusting off some kind of green magic from their clothes.

One of the figures was a man with light brown hair and strange pirate-like clothing, who had a fairly large gun slung in his belt, who was studying some kind of map with detached interest. The other next to him, however, had Kairi squinting her eyes in surprise. A tall, strikingly beautiful tan woman dressed in leather articles of clothing stood cautious, scanning the area with slight irritation. She had long wavy white hair, and…were those bunny ears coming from her head?!

She also had a weapon, only hers appeared to be a bow and arrow of some sorts, shining dangerously under the moonlight.

Kairi sure as hell didn't invite those two to the party.

The doors to her bedroom that lead out to the balcony suddenly slammed open, and Kairi and Yuna quickly pulled away to see Riku standing there, suddenly looking shocked and sheepish.

"Oh! Uh, sorry…um…Kairi…can I, err, talk to you…? For a….sec?" Riku choked out, his eyes wide at the sight of her and Yuna. Yuna quickly stood up and wiped a hand across her dark, wet lips, giving Kairi a meaningfully confused look before backing up slowly to the doors.

"I-I…I have to go." She stammered quickly before running off. Riku watched her go with a look of uncertainty before turning back to Kairi. He looked panicked.

"You're a lesbian? Oh, never mind that, we have a problem."

**Enter Roxas**:

Oh god, Roxas Haiku had _just broken up_ with Axel Akito.

What the hell was he thinking?! He was so fucking t_aken_ with Axel, why the hell would he just dump him like a pair of out of season duck shoes?!

This was crazy. Roxas was usually more logical and clear thinking than this. But the whole closet, reminiscing thing had thrown him off guard. His emotions were all over the place, and a big, huge, realization had hit him just as he was about to forgive Axel and live happily ever after.

Axel had had sex with Namine, which meant that…out of his group of friends, he was the only virgin. And above that, he'd been cheated on in every single relationship he'd been in! Well, okay, this time Axel technically didn't cheat on him since they were just dating, but a little while back when they were officially exclusive, Axel did in fact cheat on him with some bitch named Larxene.

What the hell did he do to deserve this?! Did he accidentally step on the God of Insects or something?

Thus, Roxas, who had been feeling all of this at the time, had decided…to hell with love…and broken up with Axel, the object of his angsty, teenage affection.

Which brought him back to, what the hell was he thinking?!

Now he was just rooming through the house like a little lost puppy, having no clue where to go or what to do. He kind of wanted to go home, but he knew it would only hurt Axel even more to know that Roxas had up and left, but then again, what should he care what Axel felt? He obviously cared much more for Namine than he did for him, since he cared enough to take her virginity and introduce her into the world of sex.

Anyway, since Axel was in the kitchen talking to Namine, Roxas had decided to stay in the Morning Room for a while that was on the way other side of the house, in hopes that his head would clear and the fog would lift, and he could then figure out just what the heck he should do and where he should go from here.

It was so amazing how Kairi did all of this, especially for Riku in so little time. There was an arcade with a bunch of kids surrounding this one kid who appeared to be beating some kind of Arctic Thunder world record, a trampoline where all the cheerleaders like Becky Blecks and Trina Hampton were showing off and doing flips, and-

Holy shit, when did Kairi get a rock wall?!

Roxas blinked in amazement, watching almost transfixed as a chubby, black haired boy wearing a red bandana on top of his head climbed up the wall with ease, talking pleasantly to Paine, who was next to him, as he did so. And for some strange reason, he looked familiar to him, but he couldn't figure out for the life of him why that was.

But of course he couldn't. Come on, he really hadn't had a chance to notice anything about this party, seeing as how he was either fighting with Axel, _hiding _from Axel, or crying. But now that he looked around (and had a little bit of Cloud's beer- Cloud didn't need any more anyway), he was noticing things. Especially how damn familiar this guy climbing the mysterious rock wall was. It was frustrating that he could Not. Put. His. Finger. On. It.

The boy glanced over at him as he unhooked his harness and did an almost instant double-take. His mouth fell open. Roxas eyed him uneasily. What? Was something on his face? Tear residue, perhaps? An expression of freaking hurt and pain? Confusion? Spitefulness?

"Roxas." Rock wall boy asked, but it was more of a statement or a title or something more than anything else. He furrowed his eyebrows at him.

"Yeah?"

The boy's mouth dropped open again and he began to gape like Freddie Fish. "R-Roxas?! Me…I…Is….It's me! Pence!" He stammered in excitement. Roxas smiled politely.

"Uh, good to see you again." He said properly, still having no clue who Pence was.

Pence's smile died on his face. "You don't remember me? You know…kindergarten?"

No. He definitely did not fucking remember kindergarten. Who the hell remembered their kindergarten years? He sure didn't. But hold on now. Maybe if he really thought back. Kindergarten meant that it was before he moved to Destiny Islands, back when he still lived in Twilight Town…he would have still been wearing his hair long and in his eyes…wearing his signature checkerboard T-shirt and jeans with the knee high socks…

…and him, Pence, Olette and Hayner were best friends…the…the…!

"We were the Kinderguardians!" Roxas shouted, his memory seeming to shake off the dust. He remembered now! The four of them would run around trying to solve mysteries and seem cool to the older fifth-graders. And Hayner…

Hayner had been his best friend.

"YES! Oh thank goodness you remember! I was getting worried… but, look how much you've changed! You're so hardcore and badass!" Pence cried, his warm brown eyes seeming to just sparkle in the presence of his old friend.

Roxas laughed sheepishly and glanced down at himself. He was wearing his favorite outfit- the khaki one that he wore on special occasions (not that a party for Riku was special or anything!)- a couple of rings and a couple of wristbands, and his spike necklace that Axel had given him when they were still boyfriend/boyfriend. And of course Pence had never seen him with his hair spiked.

"Nah, I'm just chillen'. So what are you doing here? Aren't you still in Twilight Town?" He wanted to know, folding his arms and looking at him. Pence shook his head.

"No, I moved. Actually we all did. We heard that Olette's dad had to be relocated here, and we staged a level 5 freak out, so we convinced our parents to move with them. Our first day started yesterday, but unfortunately we couldn't find you anywhere. Olette ended up in a class with Kairi and Namine, which is how we got the invite." Pence explained, waving to Paine as she left the wall. "Sweet, huh?"

Roxas grinned and beat fists with him. "More than sweet! Awesome!"

"So do you want to go find Olette and Hayner?" Pence offered with a knowing smile. Roxas returned it.

"You know it."

As it turned out, Olette and Hayner had been in the movie room downstairs, the last time Pence had seen them. Supposedly the movie playing was _Step Up 2 the Streets_, which neither had seen yet so both had decided to chill down there while Pence checked out all the cool features of the house.

"You should have seen Hayner's face when he saw Kairi's house. It was like this," Pence told him, pausing to make a face reminiscent of Edvard Munch's The Scream, "Just like that, I swear."

Roxas burst out laughing. Maybe this was why he hung out with Pence as a toddler. The boy was just brimming with good natured humor. "You're sure?"

Pence scrunched up his face so he looked like the President. "Is this the face of a guy who'd lie?"

More laughter bubbled up in Roxas throat, and he had to grab onto the wall to keep from falling down the rest of the flight of stairs. He was going to have to control this insane amount of humor, that Pence.

When Roxas and Pence got downstairs, all the movie watchers (and there was a lot of them- guess some people preferred to watch people party rather than do it themselves) were glaring at them, no doubt due to Roxas' not so quiet laughter from the stairs.

Roxas coughed. "Uh…sorry."

Everyone grumbled as they turned back to the screen, but two faces in particular remained staring at them, whispering to each other in quiet tones. A pair of wide brown eyes and another pair of green were fixated on him, and he fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Why are they still staring?" Roxas mumbled to himself, scowling back at them. The face that belong to the brown eyes looked surprised for a second before sneering back, flopping back down into the couch. The green eyes blinked for a second before growing warmer and suddenly growing closer.

Pence rolled his eyes and nudged Roxas meaningfully. "Roxas, stop scowling. That's Hayner and Olette."

"Huh?" Roxas' face suddenly filled with surprise as he gaped at Pence before looking back swiftly at the two pairs of eyes, but both were gone. Roxas' shoulders sagged and he sighed disappointedly. Great…now he'd just scared off two of his old friends.

A tap from behind him startled him, and he flew nearly three feet into the air as he swirled around. In front of him was a cute brunette girl with bangs that framed her face and a warm smile, and incidentally the host of the two green eyes he'd just seen a second ago. Next to her was a guy dressed in cargo and with strange slicked hair, standing with his arms folded and looking away with a scowl on his face.

"Roxas?" The girl asked out hopefully, reaching out tentatively and touching his hand. For some reason, he instantly relaxed, giving the girl a slow smile.

"Olette?" He asked with a grin. The girl- Olette- broke out into a wonderful smile and threw her arms around Roxas' neck, pulling him close and giving him a tight hug.

"Oh Roxas, it really is you!" She pulled back a little to observe him. "And look at you! You're so different, and yet, you look the same. I mean, you look all hard and badass, but you still have that goofy smile and angelic face!" She sighed happily.

Pence walked over to Hayner and pushed him up towards Roxas, ignoring the warning glare that he shot him and nodding his head to Roxas. Hayner finally looked over at Roxas, both boys staring at each other with tense uncertainty. Finally, when Roxas felt like he was about to break down and crack, Hayner broke the ice.

"Roxas…I…I remembered you." He mumbled, refolding his arms and looking away again with a sniff. Pence and Olette hid smiles in their hands as they watched the exchange in amusement.

Roxas rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "You _did_ promise that you would." He pointed out, the memories suddenly awakening and finding their place back in his mind.

Hayner shrugged and finally allowed himself to look at Roxas and smile. "Yeah? Well, even as a kindergartener I didn't make promises I wouldn't keep. I _was_ a Kinderguardian, you know."

Roxas laughed, and suddenly both him and Hayner were hugging and laughing.

"Where have you been all my life, love?" Roxas joked, pounding fists with him like they used to. Hayner pretended to be a girl and fainted in his arms.

"I've been pinning away for you with my weeping organs and my pounding bosom!" He wailed in his best female impersonation, and suddenly all four of them were laughing and hugging again.

"SHHHH! SOME PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE DAMN MOVIE!" Someone from the first row shouted, giving Roxas and the gang the finger. Roxas scowled at him and memorized his face. Oh, he was _so_ pranking him when they got back to school on Monday.

Olette wiped her eyes and sniffed, watching on at the three boys that were her best friends, before noticing two approaching figures from the stairs out of the corner of her green eyes.

"Oh hi Kairi!" She greeted at the girl before her voice abruptly left her upon seeing the guy that was with her. "O-Oh my…"

Hayner, Pence and Roxas all looked up to see Kairi and Riku standing at the bottom of the stairs, both looking like they were carrying a cow on their shoulders and had just seen a ghost. As his three old friends gasped at Riku's beauty, Roxas noticed the expression on Riku's face. He looked so nervous, yet determined. Something was up.

"Hi Olette; Olette's friends. We need to borrow Roxas for a little while, okay? We'll bring him back safe and sound, promise!" Kairi giggled, sounding so convincing to the rest of them, but sounding so fake to Roxas, who could see through her façade.

"Don't make promise you can't keep." Riku mumbled under his breath lowly, but loud enough for Roxas to hear. He frowned.

"I'll catch up with you later guys." He bid farewell to his friends, and followed Kairi and Riku back up the stairs, glancing at Riku as they climbed steps.

"What's going on, Riku?" He demanded, grabbing his arm and stopping him at the top step. Kairi stopped as well, turning to them impatiently, but she remained silent. It was important that Roxas and Riku cleared the air.

Riku hid his eyes beneath his bangs. "We need your help. But I'll understand if you don't want to give it."

Roxas looked confused. What the hell was he talking about?

"What? Why wouldn't I want to help you guys out?" He wanted to know.

"Because," Riku muttered, letting out a sigh, "You hate me. And don't even try to lie, because I know you do."

"Riku," Roxas began with a tinge of annoyance, "I don't hate you, and I'm sorry if my anger let it seem that way. I was just so _mad _at the thought that I had been left behind…and I let that bitterness build up inside of me. I'm not saying I'm not still upset at you, because _hell _yeah, I am. I'm just letting you know that I still care about you, and I _do forgive you_. Actually, I'd kind of forgiven you a while ago."

Riku perked up at that, and for a second his normal arrogant state shined through. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Roxas rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly again. "Sor was kind of right. Most of this was about Axel."

Riku grinned at him, and now his personality- the one that resembled the butt of a donkey- was entirely out into the open. "I knew it, Mrs. Axel Akito! This wasn't about me at all! You know, I saw your song lyrics. I never knew you could be so romantic."

Roxas' calm, sincere expression morphed into a scowl so fast that it actually startled Riku for a second. "Shut up, you jerk. Weren't you still apologizing a second ago?"

"Actually, he wasn't. You were." Kairi offered, but one look from Roxas made her pretend like her shoes were the most interesting things in the world. "Uh, never mind."

She looked up again when she thought it was safe. "Actually guys, we have a job to do, remember?"

Roxas tilted his head at them. "Yeah, about that. What exactly do you need my help with?"

Riku gave him a knowing smirk.

"Let's just say we're going to need a lot of mischief."

**Enter Axel**:

Never before had Axel felt so horrible, so mad, and so depressed all in one night. But now he had. And he had to tell you, it pretty much _sucked ass_.

Roxas was upset. He got that. Tonight he had just found out he had taken Namine's virginity, and then had to recount a horrible time in his past. Of course that would make any guy break down. But…he didn't expect Roxas not to want to keep seeing him. He thought Roxas would forgive him, and he would keep on dating both.

No such luck. Roxas had had it with him, and now they were back to square one: friends. Axel shuddered.

But this was what he wanted. This was the reason why he began dating Namine in the first place. This was the only fucking way to guarantee that Roxas would not take him back before that faithful time came when he would have to leave.

But, god fucking dammit, he didn't expect it to hurt this much.

"Axel…are you okay?" Namine asked him, placing a comforting hand on his elbow. They were both leaning on the kitchen counter, each staring thoughtfully into space, completely ignoring the party going on around them. That was probably one of the best things about Namine, though. Axel could just be with her and feel anything he wanted to feel without the fear of someone intruding in his thoughts.

He gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I'm fine." He scoffed and straightened, tossing her a smirk. "Come on…I'm Axel."

Namine giggled in her hand and stepped closer to him. "Well, hi Axel. I'm Namine. And I would like to know if you want to meet my parents tomorrow evening."

Axel turned around so his face was hidden by his long spiky red hair. And _this_ was one of the _worst _things about Namine. She was treating him like he was her little boyfriend, or something, when they were just dating. And sure, it wasn't her fault that Axel was so damn sexy and likeable, but…his heart really did belong to Roxas. So her trying to make him hers was just…

It made him very, _very _reluctant.

"Uh…but, um, isn't tomorrow a school day?" He hedged, scratching his head and still refusing to look at her. Namine laughed from behind him and gently turned him around so 

he was facing her. Her cute little face smiled up at him, and he felt a pang of guilt for leading her on like this.

"Yes, but last time I checked dinner was served after school. Besides, you don't have work tomorrow. I remembered your schedule and made plans accordingly." Namine explained, leaning up to give him a kiss on his cheek. "It's decided then!"

"Y-Yeah…" Axel laughed nervously. Memorizing his schedule? Deciding things for him…? What kind of monster has he created?!

Maybe taking her virginity wasn't the best idea on his part.

"Axel!" A voice from behind them suddenly shouted, and he swirled around to see Kairi, standing there looking nervous and panicked, with Riku and Roxas next to her, both looking away from him for different reasons.

"Couldn't we have just left him out of it?" He heard Roxas mumble to Riku.

"Hey, you're not the one who's on his hit list, buddy." Riku muttered back.

"_Any_way, because obviously Riku and Roxas are under the assumption that we're all death, Axel, we need you." Kairi told him cheerfully, but it was a sarcastic sort of cheery, the one where everyone can fucking tell you're shitting with them.

Axel twisted away from Namine. Thank god for Kairi and the two rude boys next to her. "Uh, alright. What's up?"

**Enter Sora**:

"Hey, have you seen Riku?"

"Nope, sorry Klutz, haven't seen him."

"Do you know where Riku might be?"

"Notta clue, Klutz."

"Did you see where Riku went?"

"Uh-uh, I was too busy dancing with my baby!"

It was after asking my fifteenth stranger that I realized that Riku was nowhere to be found. Which definitely confirmed that, yep, Riku was avoiding me.

But I was not to be discouraged! I was going to find Riku if my life depended on it!

Zexion had really put things in perspective for me in the Riku front. What he said made perfect sense. Riku was probably nervous and scared about talking to me- I mean, Roxas had basically just told us that Riku ripped his heart out and tore it into pieces.

I would have been a quivering mass of fear by now if_ I_ was Riku.

I bumped into a chair- like a freaking idiot! - as I entered the Dining Room, letting my eyes roam around. There was Selphie, Tidus and Wakka sitting together in a booth, whispering to each other, a couple pointing and laughing at me from my little clumsy action and some other people I didn't recognize who were too busy stuffing their faces with cheese fries to even notice me.

Great. No sexy, silver haired assholes in my eyesight.

I strode up to the trio of my friends with a no bullshit gleam in my eyes and slammed my fists down on the table, but I ended up missing and hitting myself in the thighs. Wakka and Selphie snorted, but Tidus merely raised an eyebrow at me and looked back down at his hands.

"Looks like it's a bad night for both of us." Tidus observed, kicking an extra chair from the table in my general direction. "What's your story?"

I sighed and sat down, surprising myself by managing not to miss it. Huh. Maybe Riku's lessons were paying off some. I would have to tell him that- if I could ever freaking find the boy!

"I'm sure you heard; it's the highlight of the party. Anyway, I'm looking for Riku. Have any of you seen him?" I asked hopefully, biting my lip. Tidus slumped back down in the booth, and Wakka patted him sympathetically on the back. I gazed confusedly at the two of them. What was wrong with Tidus?

Selphie ripped her worried gaze from Tidus to give me an empathetic smile. "No, I'm sorry, Sora. I haven't seen him since your closet spat." Then she leaned in close to me and whispered, "You haven't, uh, by any chance, seen Kairi…have you?"

I scowled. No. I hadn't seen her since she freaking locked me in that closet.

"No, I haven't. Sorry. But I think I might have caught a glimpse of her going upstairs with Yuna while I was talking to Zexion." I told her, trying to be helpful. But I guess what I said had the opposite effect. Both Selphie's and Tidus' whole bodies fell dejectedly onto the table.

I gave Wakka an alarmed look. What did I say?!

"What's the matter?!" I practically shouted, clutching my heart. It was beating so fast! I hope I hadn't said anything to offend them to the point of physical pain! But Wakka just rolled his eyes.

"Breathe Klutz. Jeez, it's not that serious. They're just lovesick. Calm down, will ya?" Wakka scoffed, shaking his head. He pulled Tidus and Selphie back up to sitting positions with both arms and then turned back to me. "See? They're fine."

Selphie's body fell back onto the table with a thud.

"Lovesick?" I repeated, staring at Tidus. Now that I looked at him, he did look sort of dreamy- but a depressed dreamy, like he was imagining Yuna in some kind of paradise with a steamy Fabio-looking man with fifteen pack abs and a whole tray of body shots. "Are you having Lady Yuna troubles?"

Tidus groaned. "She's been spending all her time with Kairi! And when she's not _spending time _with her, she's _talking about_ her, and about how great and special she is. I heard a rumor that Yuna even asked her to call her Les! She hasn't asked _me_ to call her that, and I'm supposed to be her boyfriend."

I coughed awkwardly. "Uh…but isn't Lady Yuna, like, straight?"

Tidus snorted and gave me a sarcastic grin. "Yeah, but I heard Kairi's bi. And I was her last boyfriend. If I can make _Kairi_, Miss Boy Crazy since she was five, switch teams, who's to say I won't make Yuna either?"

"I don't know much about Lady Yuna, but she seems to be in love with you whenever you're around." I pointed out, trying to be as much as a help as I could be to a boy who thinks his girlfriend is a lesbian.

"Yeah, the operative phrase being 'whenever I'm around.' But when I'm not, she's all for being with Kairi, her special new mystery." Tidus said scornfully, resting his head in his palm and placing his elbow on the table. "The worst thing about it, though, is that I know there's a huge possibility that Yuna might fall for Kairi. Why not? I did. You should know too, since she's your best friend. Kairi is beautiful in every way. Her personality is caring, funny and up for anything, her looks are a classic, flawless pretty and she makes the best out of every situation. Why _wouldn't _Yuna go gay for her?"

I shrugged noncommittally. I didn't like talking about Kairi stealing Yuna away. Actually, I didn't like talking about Kairi with other people at all. It felt too much like choosing sides, even if what Tidus was saying about her was very nice.

"I-I don't know." I glanced over at Selphie before returning my gaze to Tidus' quite handsome face. "Who's _she _lovesick for?"

Tidus opened his mouth to totally blab her secret when Demyx ran into my chair, knocking me backwards and landing me on the floor like a fly who'd run into a window.

"Hey Demyx. What's the matter?"

"I can't find Zexion anywhere!"

I laughed sadly and stood up, dusting myself off and ignoring the laughing couple- _again_. "Join the club. I can't find Riku either."

Demyx stopped his ranting long enough to cock his head at me. "That's funny, because I just saw him with Kairi, Roxas and Axel- and they were looking for _you_."

I paused and narrowed my eyes at him. "Really?" Then I exhaled. There was no way- that wasn't even possible. Why would Riku and Roxas be together? Plus Axel? Not a chance. "Jeez Demyx, do you enjoy messing with me like this?" I whined, feeling a little offended that he would be mocking me at my fragile state.

Demyx shook his head and grabbed my shoulders. He shook me. Hard. "Listen. To. Me. There is something serious going on, and they're looking for you. By the looks on their faces, it's very important. Go find them."

Thus, this is how I find myself searching dutifully once more for the guy I really want to talk to, the guy I'm really afraid to talk to, and the guy who probably won't talk to me at all. Add in my best friend who is now officially a girlfriend stealer and it's a fiesta!

Joy.

As I searched the house, earning three bruises and a long gash on my knee due to said clumsiness, I realized this was a really cliché situation. The pursued becomes the pursuer. The tables turn and I'm always the one with the short end of the stick.

I pondered all of this as I went from room to room, not really noticing anyone if they didn't have silver hair and sparkling aqua-marine eyes. That's probably how I found myself inevitably bumping into Roxas, who, of course, didn't even lose his posture.

As for me…

Roxas stared at me as I hit the ground with a thud, earning yet another bruise on my knee. I rubbed it furiously.

"Ow…" I complained with a pout as a slow smile of amusement suddenly made its way onto Roxas' face. He tilted his head at me and offered his hand for me to use to get up.

"Need some help?" He asked like the wise-aleck he's always been. I playfully scowled at him, slowly getting to my knees and carefully standing up by myself. See! I didn't need anyone's help! I was fine!

"No." I replied curtly, giving him a teasing sneer. Then I became serious. "Demyx told me I needed to find you guys. Said it's important. What's up?"

Roxas became serious again as well. "We need your help. Something is about to happen. Something bad. Something that's much bigger than us…and we've got to protect everyone."

He offered his hand for me to take, to lead me to the path of Moving On. But there was something that had to be said first. There was something that _needed_ to be said.

"Roxas…I am_ so_ very sorry for breaking your heart. The blame should go to me one hundred percent, not Riku. I've just been selfishly letting you torture him with no blame whatsoever going to me, and that's not right. So I'm sorry." I apologized, looking away.

Roxas was silent for a moment before sighing and rolling his eyes.

"Honestly, what is it about you and Riku's anatomies that won't let you two let things go? I _forgive you_. Hell, I forgive Riku. And it's not like I didn't shamelessly torture _you_ when Riku first initially left, or did you just forget how pissed off at you I was?"

I didn't forget. I still have some scars left from his "pranks."

"I loved him." I whispered, finally letting it be said. There. It was done. Now all my feelings that I had bottled inside for years were finally completely released. There was nothing more for me to hide. I am Sora "Klutz" Hikaru. Bare and naked and vulnerable.

Roxas cocked his head at me and gave me a bemused look. "Lov_ed_? As in past tense? Let's not kid ourselves, Sor."

I opened my mouth to say something, which, okay, probably wouldn't have been all that retorting and witty. Jeez, I wasn't quick like Mr. Einstein over there. But the chance to reply would've been nice. The next thing I knew I was being dragged by Roxas through room after room after room, leading me to the last stop on the Moving On train.

Riku.

**Enter Riku**:

Between the three of us- me, Roxas and Sora, of course- Kiwi had always been the most emotional. Little things, _weird_ little things touched him in a way that never even so much as crossed our minds. For example, back when we were younger, we had all spent winter break in Christmas Town, a little ways off from Halloween Town, and "Santa" had lost his sled of goodies. Well, little Kiwi became so distraught over it, that he spent three days looking and searching for it, before finally discovering it in the clutches of three little tricksters from Halloween Town. He actually fought them for it, and saved the day.

See, me and Roxas? Fat chance in hell of us doing that. We spent the first day helping Kiwi look, the second day going snowboarding, and the third day eating candy and getting fat in the Candy Shoppe.

Based on that single incident, and trust me, there were many, I can honestly say that I had a lot of freaking reason to be surprised at what had just happened. Really, it's a quite logical explanation for my surprise.

Roxas dragged Kiwi towards us and I winced. I braced myself for a glare, and slap, or maybe even a declaration of the end of our friendship. That incident had proven that Sora 

has always been a surprisingly good person, and usually, that comes with being a good judge of character.

I pondered all of this in those lasting few seconds that closed the distance between me and Sora and prepared myself. What I _wasn't_ prepared for, was his next action.

Kiwi hugged me. _Hugged_ me. As in, wrapped his arms around me, nuzzled my neck with his face, and squeezed.

"Hugmahumdaror…" I babbled like the intelligent guy I am. My eyes flitted around in shock as Sora hugged me even tighter, and, in order to distract myself from Sora's delicious scent and his toned little body against mine, I glanced at my…_amazing_ group of friends. Roxas and Axel both turned to each other and snickered before pausing and promptly looking in different directions. Kairi touched her lips in a distracted fashion, and everyone else was…well, partying.

As well as the little dancing monkey who was occupying my brain at the moment.

And suddenly, just as soon as it happened, he pulled away, leaving my body with an empty, yearning feeling. The smile that was there suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a scowl, not unlike the ones I was now used to receiving from Roxas.

"Look Riku," He began with a confidence I hadn't seen from him since I got here, "it's alright if you aren't comfortable enough yet to tell me the reason why you left. It's alright if you don't even want to tell me why you're back. But don't run from me. I _want_ to talk to you. I want to try to go back to the way we were; best friends. You, me and Roxas."

Although what he was saying warmed my ever-thawing heart, some of his negotiations weren't what I wanted. I didn't want to go back to being best friends. I wanted us to grow up together; to move on. To become intimate and close in a way that just isn't possible as best friends.

But for now…

"I…do too." I responded, feeling like I was making a promise I couldn't keep. "And…I can't tell you any of those answers. _Any_ of you…" I looked around at my friends, the people I trusted. "Not yet."

Kiwi surprised me by nodding. "I know. And when you're ready, we'll be there. But for now…stop acting so emo so we can all save the island and what not."

As I gazed into Kiwi's beautiful, big blue eyes, and he stared meaningfully back, I finally felt half of that empty piece of nothingness begin to chip itself back into place, as it should. I grinned, and turned to Roxas, who was shamelessly staring at Axel's now unattainable ass. He felt my gaze and looked up at me, blushing cutely but not taking his eyes from mine. And in that look, the other half of my heart made its way into its position, as well, leaving me with a sense of completeness.

"Uh, guys? What's with the staring contest? We have a job to do, remember?" Kairi suddenly complained, folding her arms and raising her eyebrows at us. I directed my grin at Kairi now.

"Oh come on…as if you even have a plan." I scoffed, my grin growing even wider as she narrowed her eyes at me. "What, do you plan to lock them all in a closet like you did with us?"

Roxas and Sora laughed as Kairi fumed at me.

"It worked, didn't it?" She cried out exasperatedly. I snuck a glance at Axel, but I quickly looked away. He was in a rotation between staring sadly at Roxas, frowning at Namine's figure in the distance, and glaring at me for even speaking in his presence.

Yeeeeeeah, I take it he was still angry with me.

"I'll have you know I actually have a very intricate plan, this time!" Kairi announced determinedly, and the four of us all piled together, listening intently at the plan that would no doubt fail.

**Enter Zexion**:

"_Zexion…"_

Zexion jerked awake, blearily blinking the sleep out of his eyes and running a hand down his face. When did he fall asleep? No, better question: whose voice was that? He couldn't be sure, but it sounded distinctly like…

Maleficent.

"Uh…we're here." Xigbar announced awkwardly, gesturing in sheepish pride at the house they'd stopped at. Zexion shook off his exhaustion and followed Xigbar hand only to jump and recoil in disgust. Where they even at a _house_?

No, there was no way that was a house. Instead he was looking up at a half brick, half decaying wood hunk of material in the shape of someone's home, but not quite getting there. Zexion squinted. Where those…_cockroaches_ running inside the crack of the front door? Was that…a fire ant colony on the entire side of the "house"? And was that… a chimney in the shape of a male hoo-hah?!

"I'm not going in there." Zexion announced quietly, glancing over at Xiggie with a look that just _dared him_ to question his declaration. Saix shrugged understandably, while Luxord merely burst out laughing.

"Spot on decision there, mate." He applauded him, still laughing as he made to enter to the house. Saix followed him, quietly mumbling to himself about there being a full moon tonight. That left Xiggie and Zexion out there alone.

"Zexion…" Xiggie started, but Zexion pretended as if he had never even spoken.

"Well…I'm kind of exhausted, so I guess I'll go inside…but only if I get a bed." Zexion murmured. He stretched, almost as if to prove his statement.

Xiggie let out the breath he had been holding. "Of course." He mumbled softly. Zexion nodded emotionlessly at him and began to the front door, effectively hiding his whole face from his brother. That would do. Because if his brother saw him, he would see all the emotion that Zexion had been hiding for years now in the absence of his beloved brother.

When Zexion opened the door, the first thing he noticed was that the exterior wasn't a thing like the interior. The interior was just like their real base of operations in Never Was Town in Bastian Bay, only things were homier…more relaxed.

And the second thing he noticed was that something had attached itself to his small torso, squeezing him close to it. Or, perhaps 'it' was not the operative word to use. He looked down.

Marluxia. No, no._ It_ was the correct pronoun.

"Zexion! I missed you!" Marluxia squealed, hugging him closer to his body. Lexeaus merely saluted him from where he was sitting on the couch in front of the TV. Saix, Luxord and 

Xiggie had run off somewhere to do something that Zexion really could care less about, and Larxene ruffled his hair in that annoying way that always managed to piss him off a little bit.

Zexion said nothing in response to Marluxia.

"Aw…still emotionless as always, eh Zex? Well, anyway, I was wondering. Did you, by any chance, see…Vexen, while you were there?" Marluxia hedged, his voice suddenly growing more hesitant by the minute. Zexion, despite himself, gave way to a small smile. Everyone knew that Marluxia was deeply in love with Vexen. And while Vexen never reciprocated any feelings for their leader, everyone could tell that he was just in denial about it.

Marluxia was a strange character, to say in the least. It was a joking debate in the Organization that he had split personality disorder. One minute Marluxia was carefree and ditsy, then he'd be yelling and throwing things at them, and then he'd be serious and displaying some serious leadership qualities.

Vexen, on the other hand, was all ice. In fact, the Ice Queen barely said a nice word to anyone whenever he wasn't in his laboratory. Supposedly, Vexen and Xemnas used to date, but Xemnas dumped him in favor of Saix, and that's when Vexen went from nice, to ice. But that was alright, since that seemed to be something that Marluxia was into, so it all worked out.

The others all had personalities that Zexion didn't exactly care for. That or he simply didn't care. Still…they were his comrades; his brothers and Zexion couldn't deny that things just wouldn't be the same without any of them.

Larxene was kind of this crazy bitch who took out her frustrations on everyone, and usually Zexion stayed clear of her. Marluxia was her best friend, and whenever she was around him, she instantly became tamer. To sum it up, Larxene was like the annoying big sister he'd never had.

Lexeaus, or Lex, was actually pretty…well, nice would be the first word that came to mind. When he was on a mission, Lex was actually pretty horrible and was pretty evil. But whenever he had downtime, he was the sweetest man Zex had ever met. He also had this weird brotherly complex for Demyx, which, yes was kind of annoying, but now seemed kind of endearing.

Saix, Luxord and Xiggie were pretty trio oriented. They never really went anywhere without the others. Saix, however, had recently taken to sleeping with Xemnas, which had given 

way to tension between them. Zexion had to admit, it was…abnormal…. to sleep with their Superior.

Zexion blinked as Marluxia gave a strong slap to his back, and his body, due to its size, went tumbling into Larxene, who smiled down at him. Funny, her smile didn't bring him happiness. Actually, it only gave way to uneasiness.

"So Marly…you up for some catch?" Larxene asked Marluxia evilly, shoving Zexion roughly back into Marluxia's awaiting arms. Marly's eyes widened at Larxene and he quickly pulled Zexion to the protection of his back.

"No! " He gasped, and Zexion almost began to feel remorse for thinking the worst of him. And then, "If we piss him off now, he'll never tell me if he saw Vexen. We can mess with him later, when all is told."

Zexion gave him a blank look and shoved away from him. Assholes.

He had just reached the bedrooms when Marluxia came running after him, grabbing his wrists and abruptly pulling him into his bedroom.

What the-

"Hi. Yeah, sorry about that; we were just teasing. You didn't have to have a BF." Marluxia whined loudly, locking the door behind them. Zexion raised an eyebrow.

"A 'BF'?" He repeated uncertainly.

"Uh, _yeah_." Marluxia looked both ways before lowering his voice. "You know, a _bitch fit_."

Okay. At this point Zexion was just about ready to get some sleep. He regarded Marluxia with impatience, which was probably the most expression he'd ever given him.

"Why am I here?" He demanded softly. Marluxia suddenly became serious, and once again Zexion was dumbfounded at the obvious transformation in personalities.

"Look. This is very important, so you need to stop fooling around. Sit down. Now."

Zexion sat, inwardly cursing him in his head. He was fooling around? If that was fooling around, he didn't want to know what being serious was like.

"Xemnas recently informed me that Maleficent has somehow got her source on some serious power...power that she has been wielding and growing stronger with. We don't know what it is, but we know it's serious. I trust that the Dog, the Brit and the Pirate have told you all about her intentions with your little boyfriend?"

Zexion felt himself settling back into his rank at Marluxia's no bullshit tone. "Yes, sir."

Marluxia nodded. "Good. I also trust you know that we are relocating into the home of your silver-haired friend in order to maintain contact with the Mercenaries?"

Zexion paused. Uh, no, he didn't know about that one. Did _Riku_ even know about that? "Uh, no sir, I didn't."

"Well, it'll be your job to inform him of this. Now, I'm not sure if you know about the history of the Organization, but it's not a pretty one. So relax, grab a beer from my mini-fridge over there, and listen."

**Enter Riku:**

The plan, I was to learn, was very simple, to the point…and kind of stupid. But then again, it's always the ridiculous, silly plans that work out the best. Still…I couldn't help but still be a little nervous about the whole thing. I mean, these were lives at stake here. None of us could mess this up. There was no room for mistakes.

But on the other hand…that didn't mean that we couldn't enjoy the hell out of it!

I grinned as I made my way to the dance floor, casually making my way into the middle. Kairi told me to be conspicuous and stay on the down low, but what was the point of dancing on the outskirts when you could just dance in the center? Hey, you know what they say: live today like there's no tomorrow!

Demyx returned to his DJ stand with a calm determination as Taylor Swift's sappy love song ended. We had all decided to include Demyx when we realized that he was just as important to this plan as the rest of us. And it was better to keep the main guy we were protecting close to us.

He slid a concealed record from out of its case and placed it into the player, giving the expectant dancers a happy little smile that made them all feel uneasy. Ha, they were such followers. Did no one plan to request any songs? Or maybe even ask what was next? Well, guess not.

Guess they'd just have to deal with Demyx's next song!

Dem leaned over the table after pressing play and winked at me. I nodded back and settled into the center, turning my face down and widening my stance; a couple of people who were around me stepped away and stared at me curiously. Hell, I was curious myself. I had no clue how to dance.

_**5**_

"What's the new kid doing?"

"Oh, he's not new, he just ran away for like, three years."

_**4**_

"Is he about to break dance?"

"Who the fuck cares? I could totally take him on."

_**3**_

"I'm surprised he's not chasing after Sora, or something."

"Who's Sora?"

_**2**_

"When the hell is the music going to start?"

_**1**_

Go time. Time to break out the big guns and start our mission. Mission: Ultimate Distraction. The music came on, and I didn't know what I was doing; I just began to move. Ignore the people staring, Riku. Ignore their comments. Just focus on yourself and carry out your part of the plan.

"_I'm bringin' sexy back._

_Them other boys don't know how to act._

_I think it's special what's behind your back._

_So turn around and I'll pick up the slack."_

I started dancing the only way I knew how: badly. Between the robot and the worm, I think I may have been held back in a class. Yeah, the class that taught you what generation you were in. It was pretty obvious that I was in the wrong one.

"_Dirty babe…you see these shackles; baby I'm your slave._

_I'll let you whip me if I misbehave._

_It's just that no one makes me feel this way."_

People peered on in shock as I broke out in the funky chicken. Saw that move on VH1: Classics. Then I tried my hand at the hustle. Yep. I was doing the hustle to Sexyback. And proud. For shame.

I could see Demyx holding his stomach and doubling over in silent laughter out of the corner of my eye. Was I making a fool out of myself? Demyx fell out of the booth and onto the dance floor, still shaking in mirth.

I think the answer was yes. Then again, this was kind of fun!

**Enter Sora:**

And here I was thinking that Riku was good at everything. I laughed out loud and then covered my mouth from where I was secretly watching him dance. Riku _was_ good at everything… _but_ dancing!

My walkie-talkie buzzed from my pants and I reached in to get it. I reluctantly looked away from Riku's Running Man and buzzed back in on the machine.

"Agent Kiwi, here. What's the problem? Over."

Almost immediately I got a response from Kairi. "Stop ogling Riku's sexy dancing form, over."

I blushed. "I was not! Over!"

"This is Agent Kai here, asking from confirmation from all other agents that Agent Kiwi was indeed ogling Riku's sexy dancing form, over." Kairi's voice came out in amusement from the walkie-talkie. I waited patiently for one of my good old pals to back me up.

"Request granted from Agent Rocky. Agent Kiwi was definitely ogling, over." That was Roxas. But I guess I wasn't expecting an agreement from him, since I ratted him out earlier to Axel.

"Request…err, granted from Agent Pyro. Agent Kiwi was ogling, and not only that, but he was probably day dreaming about having Agent Kuey's sexy body up against him in bed, over." That was none other than Axel. My eye's bugged from my eyes. And after I helped him out earlier with Roxas, too!

"Don't you guys, heehee, have a job, hahaha, to do? Ov- haheeha- er." Demyx suddenly came through into the conversation, talking between chuckles. I looked over at Riku. He had now somehow managed to get everyone in the house to do some kind of made-up routine that consisted of The Sprinkler, The Lawnmower and The Macarena. Ugh, he was such a leader.

"Alright, alright. Agent Pyro, on the move. Melting windows 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Over." Axel suddenly announced, bringing us all back to the task at hand. The plan was to use Riku's horrible dancing skills and obvious leadership qualities to distract everyone in the party. Then we would lock everyone inside until the two strangers Kairi saw lurking around left, and until Zexion gave them the okay.

During that time, Kairi would use every fiber in her bone to entertain Riku's guest and make them believe that nothing weird was going on. That meant lots, and lots of games; games I wasn't sure if I even wanted to play.

It was freaky sometimes how perverted Kairi was.

Anyway, it was my job to block-off the bedroom windows, which were windows 6, and 9 upstairs. Kairi was taking care of the backdoor, which was huge, and Roxas was taking care of the huge glass ceiling that hung above the basement.

I snuck one last look over at Riku. His hair was tumbling down his back in dark gray waves as his muscles bulged from the tight black leather vest under his white and yellow sleeveless jacket. Oh god…it had even unzipped a little. There were little trickles of sweat rolling down his perfect abs…

And the way that perfect behind was moving and swinging in those dark blue jeans…I could feel my mouth go dry and my eyes go a little hazy. I bit my lip. Oh man…if I was three years younger…

"Agent Kiwi, where the hell are you? Have you finished your mission? Over?" Kairi suddenly screeched into the phone. I jumped, looking away and suddenly this feeling of deep shame washed over me. Look at me…wishing I could go back to the time when Riku and I snuck around behind Roxas' back?

No.

I had to keep moving forward. It was time for me to move on…which meant that Riku and I couldn't just go back to what we had. We had to start with a clean slate, and that meant not giving into temptation.

I looked up again and Riku was looking straight at me, giving me a slow smile and a sexy wink. I clutched my chest. Oh, but it wouldn't be easy. It definitely wouldn't be easy.

I made my way up the cream colored stairs, running a hand against the light green colored wall paint. This house was so familiar to me. I remember how often Riku and I would come here and just…live. I nodded my head resolutely and took bigger steps up the stairs, being careful not to trip on my face again.

Okay, so first things first. The most important room in the house. Kairi's.

I slowly approached Kairi's door with a sudden hesitance. Why was her door closed? That was weird; Kairi said she left her door wide open. Huh.

My eyes suddenly widened as a sudden epiphany hit me. Oh my god. What if…what if it was the _intruders _inside? I glared down at myself as a sudden anger washed over me. Three years ago I never would have had to worry about this. I used to be so graceful and strong…why the hell wouldn't my body just follow its natural tendencies?! Why did everything I touch come back ruined? Why couldn't I stand on my own two feet?!

Despite myself, I could feel angry tears well up in my eyes, and I furiously brushed them away. I was _not _going to cry over this. Everyone already thought I was weak as it was.

I slapped myself. Get yourself together, Sora! You have a mission!

I opened the door and paused. There, right before my very eyes, was Selphie, and an unidentified _girl_, going at it like there was no tomorrow. And I couldn't help it; I stared.

"Um…" I finally mumbled, my gaze drawn towards the ground. Selphie gasped, and she jumped out of bed, throwing her tight yellow dress on with haste and giving me an apologetic look. I nodded wordlessly.

"Don't…don't tell Kairi, okay?" She whispered to me, before scurrying out of there. I looked back up when I felt a pair of eyes on me, and I realized that the other girl was still in here. Actually, upon further inspection…I knew this girl. My eyes widened. Wait a sec- that was…

"Uh…Paine?" I asked, tilting my head a little to get a closer look at the girl. She turned her head, and a pair of violet red eyes locked onto mine. Yep, that was Paine alright. Wow…I had heard rumors that she was a lesbian, but I didn't know she and Selphie had a thing going.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Sora-bear. She just wanted to see if her feelings for a certain someone went farther than an individual attraction." Paine explained, lighting up a cigarette and buttoning up her outfit. Vaguely, I wondered how she managed to do it so quickly.

"Oh. And?" I asked. I knew it wasn't any of my business but…I was curious.

"Leslie the Lesbian." She sang, walking out the room and closing the door behind her. I raised my eyebrows. Wow. Everyone was becoming a lesbian these days in Destiny Island. It almost makes me feel bad for the straight guys here.

Anyway. I had to somehow lock the windows.

Attempt one: Good old-fashioned window clasp

I stood next to the first window and pulled the shutters up. It was better that way. Now I could actually see. I felt the sill for the little white lock, whistling SexyBack for some entertainment. Once I found it, I happily turned it and the window popped closed!

Too bad it didn't actually happen that way.

I turned the clasp, and the window made a wheezing sound before falling silent again. I stared at it. It didn't even budge a little! I tugged at it again, and once more it wheezed, but still refused to move. I sighed. Of course it would be _my_ windows that refused to close. Turning to the other window in the room, I was once again denied in my mission, as the window also stubbornly stayed open.

I pouted at it.

The windows glared at me, and, telepathically, I could tell it was saying, "Tuck your lip back in, we're not moving."

I sighed. Damn.

Attempt two: Brute strength

"May the force be with you." Cloud told me, in my mind. I nodded calmly, and stood up from where I was leaning against Kairi's bed. I eyed the window superiorly.

"I have the force with_ me_." I bragged to the window. The window remained silent. I took a deep breath. Okay. One. Two. THREE!

I sent a deathly kick to the sill, using the force to pull it closed. The window screeched, but didn't budge a muscle. I let out a frustrated shout. This wasn't what I needed right now! Riku, Roxas and I had all just forgiven each other, and in order to keep that, we would have to carry out this mission!

"I hate you." I muttered to it. The wind from the open window howled snootily.

Attempt three: Hammer time!

I laughed menacingly as I fished out a hammer from under Kairi's bed. I have no clue why it was even under there, but at this point, I couldn't waste time with silly little details. This window was going down Sora style.

I held up a wooden block against the open portion of the window and held it in place with my foot. The nails were in my pocket, and I reached down to grab one when I realized that the pockets all had belts on them. I stared. What kind of pants did Riku buy me?!

With the hammer gripped in my left hand, my fingers wrestled with the little belts and buttons to pry it open. All of those bruises began to catch up with me, and my extended leg began to cramp up a little. I bit my lip. Oh crap.

I tried even harder to open the pocket, and I could feel my fingers getting cuts from the lack of attention, but I couldn't help it. I was starting to panic, and my foot was starting to slip, and…

The wood, my shoe, the nails and I all went flying onto her bed with a heartfelt _ooof!_

I glanced down at my pants and left out a frustrated cry. The pocket had completely ripped off. I groaned. Riku was not going to be happy with me at all. I shifted my gaze to the window. It hadn't even had the decency to scratch.

Attempt four: …?

At this point, I had no more ideas. What more could I do? I wasn't strong enough to pull the window down and clasp it, I wasn't skilled enough to force it down, and I wasn't coordinated enough to patch it up.

This sucked.

"Um…this is Agent Kiwi here. I, um, wasn't able to carry out my mission. I've failed you guys. Over." I admitted pitifully into the walkie-talkie. Great. Once again Klutz makes a comeback, just when things were starting to get better.

I peered at my right hand to check for any injuries. It happens much more often than you would think. As I peered closer to my palm, I started to notice something strange. Small little white and gold dots were sparkling all around the air surrounding my hand. My eyes widened. Wha-

And suddenly, a large golden key appeared in hand.

I blinked. And I blinked again. And again. Nope, Key still in hand.

And then I had this incredible urge to open something with it. I couldn't explain it, but this key almost seemed to be connected to me, like it was riding on my every thought wave, offering its own suggestions like we were friends. And it seemed to be telling me to use it to open the window.

I cautiously walked towards the window, glancing around and observing the window. I didn't see a keyhole. So how was I supposed to lock it?

My hand suddenly lurched towards the window, and soon I found myself in some alternate dimension, with swirls of what could only be magic surrounding me and making a path. I leaned back and a huge surge of power ripped through the tip of the key, shooting straight up into an angled path. I peered up as much as I dared with all of that power pressing me down, and saw that a huge keyhole was staring down at me.

The force of light from the key hit the keyhole straight on, and a loud clicking noise was heard. My eyes widened as I seemed to be zooming, and a flash of white blinded me.

I blinked again. I was back in Kairi's room, thrown back on my back onto her pink, frilly bed.

The windows were completely closed and locked. And that key…that powerful, golden key with a silver chain hanging from it… was completely gone.

_**Basement**_

We were all supposed to meet Roxas back downstairs in the far side of the basement to see if he needed any help once we were finished with our task. He did have the biggest windows to lock, after all. But...as I was walking over there, I was still wondering if I should tell anyone what just happened. I stared at my hands as I shoved past the people making out in the hallways. Did it _really even_ happen?

Granted, a lot of stuff…weird stuff…had happened in my house, or at least I have a feeling it did. But this…I mean, a giant _key_, appearing in my hand? Getting transferred into a weird magical area with a giant lock? _What?!_

My shoe snagged onto the carpet on the top of the stairs in my distraction, and I went tumbling down, scrapes and bruises making their way onto my arms and legs as if it were nothing. Finally, once I fell into the last step, I hit the wall in a crumpled heap.

I groaned. This was just great. Just when I think my clumsiness is finally fading, it sneaks back up on me. And to ass insult to injury, no one was even here to help me up. As I struggled to pull myself back up on my feet, I placed one hand on my bent knee, and the other on the ground.

As I shakily tried to gather my strength again, I flexed my fingers, trying to somehow use them to cheer myself on. God, this was hurting so much. I squeezed my eyes shut.

I felt a tingling feeling on my hand again. As I peered down, the key suddenly appeared in my hand, blowing my bangs skywards as my eyes widened. Oh jeez, not again! Well, at least I knew I hadn't been hallucinating.

"Sora, was that you?" I heard Roxas call out from further into the basement. Crap! His footsteps were slowly resounding off the walls, and I furiously tried to shake the key away. No, no, no, this…this thing had to go away! No one could know about this! No one!

"Go away!" I hissed at the key, and in a fit of nervous anger, I threw it at the wall next to me. I watched as it slid down to the floor softly, looking pitiful and lonely by itself. And then, before I could even blink again, it was gone.

I furrowed my brow. G-Good. I was glad it was gone. That's what I wanted, right? To be rid of the random giant key? Ugh, I needed to stop personifying everything. It was going to be the death of me.

"Sor, are you down here- Ohmigosh! SORA!" Roxas suddenly shouted, running over to my bruised and, probably bloody, body. He fretted over me like…my mom. "Sora, are you alright?! What happened?! Come on; let's get you up from there."

Roxas companionably helped me up onto my feet, and as I grabbed his hand with my own right one, I cast a glance at the wall where I had thrown the key. Nothing was there. I sighed a sigh of relief. Good riddance.

"Okay, so Axel and I managed to close all of the windows together, and-"

My knowing smile stopped him, and he sighed at me in annoyance. "What?"

"Together, huh?" I winked, nudging him in the shoulder. "Is that some kind of code for-"

"Axel and I are friends. _Best_ friends, Sor. We were back then, and we are now. I'm not going to let some little petty thing like…like our feelings ruin the most important friendship I've ever been in." Roxas explained. My face fell at his words. What about our friendship?

Roxas noticed my expression and quickly back-pedaled. "Not saying that _our_ friendship isn't important. They just target different areas of my heart." He scowled at himself. "That made no sense. I'm sorry, I just…"

"It's alright; it made sense." I assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Roxas slowly smiled back and nodded, almost to himself. When the silence began to get a bit uncomfortable, I hastily cut through the tension by letting my knowing expression return.

"So what'cha guys talk about while you two were down here by yourselves?" I prodded, poking Roxas on the nose. "Huh? Huuuuuh?"

Roxas narrowed his eyes and stepped away from me. "Maybe you should try that thing…"

"What thing?" I asked excitedly. Roxas smirked.

"You know…that thing where you mind your own business."

My jaw dropped. I can't believe I fell into that one. Roxas began to laugh, and I teasingly stuck my tongue out at him. Jerk.

"Rocky? I thought you said you heard Sora make an ass out of himself again?" Axel called out as he walked towards us. I glared at Roxas and he grimaced sheepishly.

"Anyway, I finished the last window. So I guess we'll just wait for Kairi." Axel drawled, scratching the back of his head. And so, all three of us stood there silently, waiting.

After about five minutes of this, Axel's impatient nature finally got the best of him.

"What the hell, how long can locking a door take?!" He exclaimed, whipping out his walkie-talkie from his back pocket and giving it a long blow. "I'm going to buzz in."

"Oh, yeah sure, and get her pissed off at all of us for you rushing her. If I were you, I would just wait." Roxas suggested calmly, comfortingly taking Axel's hand and rubbing his thumb against it. The red head looked down at their hands quizzically before glancing back up at his ex-boyfriend.

"I don't care if she's pissed off. Besides, that doesn't seem like a very familiar emotion on her, anyway." Axel retorted, but I could see his whole posture sort of relax at Roxas' touch, just like in the closet. I hid a smile behind my hand. I see Rox had a new weapon.

"Guys, I'm upstairs. We're about to start phase two of our plan. Distraction part two. Agents, get your cute little butts over here! Over!" Kairi exclaimed into our walkie-talkies. Rocky and I both exchanged glances before I suddenly shouted,

"Last one up the stairs is a rotten egg!"

**Enter Riku:**

I wiped my brow. Man, dancing for what had to be an hour really takes a toll on you! On the bright side, I made a lot of new friends dancing. Like this pretty blonde girl named Penelo, who matched my dance moves perfectly. She was the first one who caught on to my routine, and the last one to stay dancing with me.

But boy was she spunky.

"You're already tired? Boy, I would've thought a handsome guy like you would have a bit more stamina than that." She teased, clasping her hands behind her back and leaning in towards me. "Or maybe my expectations were just too high."

I grinned at her. "I see the girl has jokes!"

She gave me a mischievous smile back. "And I see the boy has fans. See you around, lover boy."

I watched quizzically as she walked off. What was she talking about? But just as soon as that thought crossed my mind, a pile of girls went rushing towards me. I blinked down at them uncomfortably. They were all staring at me like I was a piece of meat. I looked up over top of their heads. All the males in the room were glaring at me. Great. Just like Bastian Bay.

Luckily, I could see my savior coming towards me, and I shot her a grateful look.

"Okay, ladies. He's all mine now. Back away." Kairi smiled, gently pushing them out the way and grabbing my hand. Half the girls glared at her hatefully while the other half widened their eyes in awe. Some even started to cry.

"I hate you, Kairi!"

"She's so cool to know a guy like that!"

"Lucky bitch!"

Kairi smiled at them and picked up the microphone. "Okay, okay, let's all settle down. Now that we have everyone up here together, I think we should start some more games! Oh, and the winner of the Riku Welcome Back Party Dance Challenge is…" She turned to me with an expectant grin.

I grinned back. "Penelo."

"Penelo!" Kairi repeated, clapping. Everyone else joined in as a spotlight, courtesy of Demyx hit her. She gave me a playful pout, and walked up to receive her prize.

"I guess the joke's on me." She laughed, and we both laughed at each other before sharing a hug.

"The name of the game is Seven Minutes in Heaven. It's a classic and one of Riku's past favorites!" Kairi announced, transitioning into the next activity with an ease that I knew she didn't feel. Everyone began to clap, the sleepiness that they all once shared dissipating from the newfound excitement. I couldn't blame them. Everyone loved kissing someone, and everyone loved the gossip that came with it even more.

Well, I didn't, but I suppose I don't count. I've probably had too many kisses from the wrong guys to last me a freaking lifetime.

It's hard to believe that Seven Minutes in Heaven used to be one of my favorites. It made me realize how much I've changed and grown up since those three years ago…those years in which I didn't know what I truly was.

"You guys all know the rules, right?" Kairi paused to listen to the drunken calls of affirmation before shrugging and continuing. "Yeah, I know you guys do, but just in case there's one shy person in here who doesn't, but really wants to play, I'll explain them again."

As Kairi explained the rules, I noticed Yuna watching her from where she was sitting on Tidus' lap, and I found my thoughts once more wandering to Kairi and just how little I actually knew about her.

I guess that telling me she was a lesbian would be kind of weird since both times that I've seen her prior to the party have been all about me. But still. I kind of feel like jerk for not…noticing? I don't even really know what I feel; all I know is that I miss having that close friendship with her.

And what's the freaking deal with Yuna? I don't know; I just didn't like the thought of her stringing Kairi along confusedly while she experimented with her dark fantasies. I mean, it was obvious that Tidus was crazy about her, so what the hell was Yuna doing with Kairi? That whole triangle just seemed like a disaster in the making.

Pssssh, like I could talk. I'm the one that ruined my own love triangle.

"-And since it's his party, Riku will spin first!"

I had been completely zoning out during Kairi's instructions and rules, but I wasn't a zombie. I definitely caught that last bit. What the hell, man? I didn't even want to_ play_ this game!

"Kairi…" I whined, trying to ignore all the pairs of eyes on me. I shifted uncomfortably from the attention. Jeez, the party had already been in swing for about four hours now. Couldn't we just all sit down and talk about life's issues?

"No." Kairi hissed sharply, answering both my previous question and the question in my mind. "Now get your ass over here and spin the damn bottle."

I frowned at her. Since when did she become so bossy?

She immediately made room for me next to her in the giant circle that I only just now noticed had formed while I was spacing out. I found myself wedged between Kairi, and the pretty brunette that Roxas was apparently friends with.

"I'm Olette." She whispered to me, gazing up at me with hopeful green eyes. I grinned down at her. I liked her energy; it reminded me of a five year old Sora.

"I'm Riku. So how do you know Roxas?" I asked, or at least I was about to, when a bottle was shoved roughly in my hand by Kairi. When I scowled over at her, she merely shrugged pointedly.

"It's our _mission_ as party planners to keep the party on its toes." She hissed, the obvious message apparent by her tone. Oh, that's right. I kept forgetting that these games weren't just for pleasure. We were also trying to prevent anyone from wanting to leave, and that meant providing a whole array of entertainment.

With a sigh- and a frown at Kairi- I reached over and placed the bottle in the middle of the circle. As my hand prepared to spin, I noticed all the girls around me position themselves, all leaning in towards the bottle with their freshly glossed lips open eagerly in anticipation.

I ignored that. Spinning the bottle, my eyes frantically searched for bright blue ones at the same pace as the spinning plastic Coke bottle, hoping to all that was holy that it would land on Kiwi.

The bottle stopped.

It sure as hell didn't land on my Kiwi.

My eyes slowly looked up to see who it was I would be forced in the closet with, and when I saw who the receiver was, my heart nearly stopped. Why, oh fates, do you betray me so?!

Kairi bit her lip but tried to keep her voice from losing its forced cheeriness.

"Axel. I see, um, that Riku's landed on you. Well, I guess you two should head on in there."

Axel glanced up from where he was idly flickering his lighter on and off and narrowed his green, cat-like eyes in confusion when he saw everyone's amused glances on him. He tilted his head slowly at them before peering at Kairi.

"Huh?" Then everything that had been happening around him registered in his brain. "Wait, what?"

Kairi shrugged apologetically at him. "That's how the game works. It doesn't take in affect personal feelings; it just randomly chooses whoever it feels like." She gave him a small comforting smile. "You can take some beer inside with you, if you'd like." She added.

I glared at her. Oh yeah sure, getting him drunk would _surely_ prevent him from pummeling me. There was obviously no such thing as angry drunks around here, huh Kairi?

I stood up cautiously and slowly made my way into the closet, just finally noticing Kiwi entering the room with Roxas in tow. Both paused when they saw me and Axel entering the closet while the rest of the observers all catcalled and whistled.

The last thing I saw before Kairi closed the door was Kiwi staring at the floor disappointedly.

_Click!_

I looked up as Axel flipped the light on and sat down on the way other side of the closet, opening up a can of Budweiser from the six packs, as promised. I sat down across from him, watching him almost enviously. With all that had happened tonight, I could use a little alcohol subsidence myself.

After completely downing his first can, he finally acknowledged my presence by tossing me my own can to drink out my problems. I graciously opened it and took a small swig. I figured I should save it as much as I could since it didn't look like Axel was the type of guy to share very often.

"Okay, so look." Axel suddenly started, waving his beer around as he spoke, "I don't usually make it a habit to try and kill someone. Even if it is for Roxas. And it's probably….not completely fair to pin the blame on you for something you did when you were practically a kid. So I'm…."

He took another long gulp of his beer instead of finishing what I knew he was doing. Apologizing. And being Riku, best friends with Sora and Zexion, two guys who would rather hide their feelings than revealing too much and getting hurt, I could recognize that Axel didn't do it very often.

"Don't worry about it. I probably had it coming anyway. I would rather it be an attempted murder from you rather than some creepy thin man on the street." I amended, feeling a bit more comfortable. I glanced down at my Pokémon watch. Only about forty five seconds had passed. Wow, time sure flies fast…

Axel suddenly reached in his pocket, and took out a shiny red object that was in the shape of a square, and I perked up eagerly.

"Food?" I exclaimed like a guy who had been on an all water diet. Axel rolled his eyes and tossed me another beer. I glanced down at the one in my hand. Huh, guess I had drunk it without realizing what I was doing. Well…that can't be good….

"IPod, son." He slurred, and I noticed he'd already gone through three beers. I looked at my watch again. Two minutes. Two minutes and he'd just downed 32 ounces of beer. Holy crap, Axel must have been one distressed dude.

He tossed me the iPod and I just caught it barely. Good thing, too, since if I missed, it would have hit me square in my eye. And a black eye just isn't attractive on a guy as pale as me.

Fingering the large screen like a jerk (I know how much people hate that), I skipped the videos in favor of searching the song list. I stared down at the iPod in my hand with a grin. One song that I'd heard before immediately caught my eye. This song had Axel all over it. I looked back up at him and raised an eyebrow.

"'Stupid MF by Mindless Self Indulgence'? Wow, music sure has changed since my day." I mocked him playfully. Axel just stuck his tongue out at me and chucked the empty beer bottle at my head. I caught it sloppily and gave him a teasing frown.

"That was mean."

"The world is mean, buddy boy. I suggest you jump on the bandwagon and ride that pony! P-O-N-Y, got it memorized?" Axel reflected wisely, rubbing his chin as if he was an intelligent old sage. I gave him a weird look.

"Right."

"You know," Axel mused, pausing to burp in a rude and kind of gross way. "I screwed a girl once to this song. It was hot. H-O-T, got it memorized?"

I rolled my eyes at him and took another swig of my Bud. "Dude, why do you find it necessary to spell everything? Do you think the rest of the world can't or something?"

Axel just laughed loudly. "I have to prove my I-N-T-E-L-L-I-G-E-N-C-E, got it memorized?"

"And why do you say 'got it memorized?' all the time? Who the hell is going to memorize something you said only a few seconds ago?" I continued. Axel was waving me off, but I was on a roll. The beer was making me especially talkative today, and I was going to talk until my mouth started bleeding and Axel's ears fell off!

"And why do you screw around with Roxas' feelings? The kid is in love with you, passionately in love with you. SO in love with you, in fact, that he's willing to forgive me just to make you happy! And in return, you date Namine and fuck a bunch of sluts who just want you because you have a reputation for being great in bed!"

Axel laughed dryly. "You forgot some things. Like when I don't remember that his birthday is on-"

"November 15th." We both finished at the same time. Axel looked at me meaningfully for a long moment, and I stared back. In a way, Axel and I were the same. We both hid our true feelings by doing something else, something that usually wasn't very acceptable.

"Sounds like you remember to me." I spoke out quietly, suddenly deciding I really didn't need any more alcohol in my system. "So why not let him know you know?"

Axel sighed and downed what had to be his sixth beer. Damn, he had tolerance! "This is my last year, you know. I've been waiting to get off of this damn island and see the world since I was first moved here my sophomore year."

I laughed. "It's only been two years and you're already yearning to get out? I would think if there was someone here who wanted to get out the most, it'd be Roxas, not you."

"I...have family shit. It's not so much the place than it is the people in it. Of course, there are quite a few diamonds here, like Rocky…Sora…Kairi…" Axel sighed. "Namine."

I cocked my head at him and tapped him on the head with my bottle. "Yeah, what's the deal with that? If you love Roxas as much as it seems like you do, why are you even with her?"

Axel groaned and fell back on the closet floor, his long legs nearly whacking me in the face. "I like Namine, I really fucking do. She's gorgeous, caring, and easy to talk to…she's pretty much the girl of my dreams." He paused and fingered a flannel shirt sleeve. "My dad….my dad really likes her, and that's important to me."

"And he doesn't like Roxas?" I guessed. Axel snorted and rolled his eyes.

"I never even told him that we were boyfriend/boyfriend when we were going out." He admitted. At my appalled expression, he just shrugged. "Dad's at work practically 24/7 or off on some business trip, so he didn't really have time to notice that his one and only son was bisexual. Besides…dad's pretty prejudice. He may not be a homophobe, but he can't stand to see it."

I ran a hand through my hair. "Does Roxas know that?"

"I've never actually come out and told him, but I'm pretty sure he got the picture when Rikku and I would randomly start shouting at him to get out whenever the garage would open and dad would come in." Axel explained.

"So is that why you're with Namine? Because you know she's the kind of girl that your dad would want you to be with, and you want to be the kind of son your dad would be proud of?" I inquired. I had a feeling I hit that one right on the mark. Score one for Agent Kuey; I was getting better at this all the time!

Axel looked away with a scoff. "Maybe." Then he stared over at me again, once more engaging us in a long staring contest. Finally, he spoke.

"I want to go to Beauty Bastian University, and that's all the way in Bastian Bay. I want to go to become a chef, and be able to serve cuisines to…everyone, I guess. However…that would mean leaving Roxas. I figure I should do it sooner than later so he at least has time to adjust."

I eyed him in sudden aggravation. "Wait. You mean to tell me that the only reason you've been an asshole of a boyfriend to him is because you want him to break up with you, so you don't have to deal with leaving him when the school year ends?"

Axel glared at me. "Long distance doesn't work. But you should know all about that, huh Tarada? You didn't fucking call or anything for three whole years; you completely dissed all of your friends. And I've seen that kind of fucking behavior enough to know that everyone does it."

I opened my mouth to retort before I suddenly had an epiphany about the pyro. "You've been hurt in a long-distance relationship, haven't you? That's why you're so against it. You don't want to do the same thing that your past lover did to you."

He wouldn't meet my eyes. "I figure if I somehow get Rocky to leave me now, I won't hurt him later."

I softened and reached out to pat him on the leg. "Well, if there's one thing I've learned from all of my mistakes, it's that sometimes the most impossible seeming situations can work themselves out."

Axel tilted his head to the side and suddenly smirked at me. "You're such a fairy, Tarada."

There was suddenly a bang on the door, one that startled both me and Axel.

"Time's up!" Kairi suddenly called out, opening the closet with flourish. The lights blinded me for a second, and I frowned blearily. I couldn't even see anybody, but I could already feel everyone's eyes on me. Jeez, didn't they have a bottle to spin?

Axel reached over for the bottle and placed it on the ground, glancing around the circle to see his options. He caught Roxas' eye, who kept it before looking back down at the bottle. I sighed. They were seriously in denial. When did life become so complicated that people who loved each other just couldn't find a way to be together?

"Hi." I heard a cheerful voice from besides me, and I looked over to see Kiwi had plopped down next to me. My mood instantly soared, and I grinned happily over at him.

"Hi, back. Where did you and Roxas run off to?" I wanted to know, folding my arms at him in mock seriousness. He shrugged and handed me a slice of pizza.

"The pizza guy came before we locked all the doors, but you didn't notice because you were too busy showing off your dance skills." He explained with a smirk, taking a bite out of his piece. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"You were watching me?" I asked incredulously. He choked on his food, and I laughed as I patted him on the back. Finally, he grabbed Axel's beer and washed it back down. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Axel giving him a death glare and tossing it in the trash. Of course, Kiwi didn't notice any of this. He was too busy trying to hide his blush.

"N-No! I just happened to be in the area…and…and…I happened to have a lock to perform right at the spot you were dancing at, and-"

"I see the bottle has landed on Sora!" Kairi announced in her microphone, and scandalous catcalls erupted from all the observers. We both looked up in surprise, our previous conversation losing its appeal as this new bit of information registered in my mind. Axel and Kiwi? Wow, that was a strange couple if I'd ever seen one.

"C'mon, Klutz. I'll show you a good time." Axel whispered in his ear before heading towards the closet. I turned to Kiwi with a scandalized expression.

"You're going to make out with Roxas' ex-boyfriend? You little _slut_!" I hissed at him, pretending to be majorly disappointed in him. I was just playing around, but the truth was that I really didn't mind all that much having Axel and Sora make out like that. I mean, sure, I'd prefer if he only did it with me. But I knew this was a game, and plus, getting jealous would only lose me some more brownie points with Kiwi.

"Shut up. You're one to talk." He scoffed back, standing up and giving me a challenging look, before following Axel into the closet. I chuckled as Kiwi slammed the door, and Kairi set the timer. As I sat waiting, I looked over to see Olette staring up at me again. She blushed furiously when our eyes met.

"S-So you never said how you knew Roxas." She pointed out, tilting her head at me. I grinned and directed my gaze over at Roxas, who was sitting between some kid wearing all cargo and another kid who was only slightly pudgy with a red bandana. They were looking over here at Olette and me suspiciously.

"Oh, Roxas and I used to be involved." I answered her, amusing myself by winking over at them and gauging their reactions. Roxas just rolled his eyes and whispered something to Hayner, who looked like he was seething or something. Pence just raised his eyebrows and made an observation to the two boys, who both grudgingly nodded.

"Oh?" Olette inquired, raising her own eyebrows in surprise. "My, my, Roxas sure does aim high, I see. For how long?"

I let my eyes drift skyward as I thought about the question. Huh. How long _did_ Roxas and I go out? Well, let's see…Roxas first came to the island when he was five, and we all became this trio of best friends. Okay, then I started harboring secret feelings for him when I was…nine. And he admitted that he liked me when _he _was nine, and we started going out. I cheated on Rox the day before I left, which was three years ago, and I am seventeen now. So I was fourteen then. Which meant that, Rox and I had been together for about four years?

"Eh, about four years, give or take." I admitted with a shrug. Olette's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock. I laughed good-naturedly. Yeah, it kind of surprised me too.

"Gosh, you two were together for a long time! What on earth caused you two to split?" She demanded, switching a suspicious stare to Roxas, who stared back at her with a small, confused half smile on his face.

"I fell in love with my best friend." I confessed. And you know what? Surprisingly, my heart didn't break when I said it. Already I was slowly starting to forgive myself for this. After three years of torment, I was finally moving on.

Olette nodded understandingly. "I can relate to that. Back in Twilight Town, I had this major crush on my friend Hayner," She paused and pointed over to him (the kid with too much cargo on), "but then I found out that he didn't swing that way, and our friendship took a major suffering. But, you know, time heals everything, and we were no exception. Actually, I sort of think he has a crush on Roxas now."

I gaped. "What?! Are you serious?"

Olette gave me a sour look. "Don't look so surprised. Roxas' edge is sexy to him. Besides, I'm pretty sure Hayner may have had a crush on him way back in Kindergarten."

"It's not that. Of course I think Roxas is adorably sexy, I went out with him for four years, didn't I? What _I_ was surprised about was the fact that Hayner would be brave enough to have a crush on Roxas when he's head over heels for Axel." I explained with a wave of my hand.

Olette scrunched up her nose. "Who's Axel?"

And as if she said the magic words, Axel was in between us, placing both of his arms around us. "I, my new friend, am Axel. Don't believe me? Just ask that cute little brunette that just stumbled out of the closet."

We all looked over at Sora, who had wobbled over to sit next to Kairi. His lips were dark and mussed, and his eyes were slightly glazed over. I rolled my eyes. Whatever. That look was _nothing _compared to the one that Kiwi gave me when we first made out by the Papou tree.

Olette blushed at Axel, and I can't be sure, but I think her mind was in overdrive by the proximity of such hot guys next to her.

I watched distractedly as Sora tripped on his way back up to the center, preparing to spin the bottle. Aw, it looked like that little tumble skinned his other knee. I repressed the urge to go up there and kiss it by watching the bottle spin around and around, curious to see who it would land on.

It slowed to a stop in front of the weird, hair-slicked boy next to Roxas. Olette giggled, and I raised an eyebrow at this old friend of Roxas. Now, okay, I'm not normally a…a jealous person. But…really. What did those three have that I didn't? That Sora and Kairi didn't? I mean, it's nice to have other friends but…the way I always saw was that you always hung out exclusively with your best friends. And there he was, having just been empowered with a sense of self-worth, not even sitting by Sora, or Kairi, or…

Me.

"So" I started in an attempt to distract myself from…myself, "what's the kid's name?"

Olette calmed herself and was now watching distractedly as Hayner went striding confidently into the closet, followed by a reluctant and slightly blushing Kiwi. "Hayner. He may look like one of those straight-from-an-old-teen-movie punks, but he's much more than that. He's…a piece of work. One that you kind of have to get to know yourself to understand." Olette explained. I considered this as the closet door came to a close.

Hmm. I guess I could understand that. A person, like Kiwi for instance, has many layers, and no matter what they seem like on the outside…the exterior…they're never what they appear to be on the inside. People, in the immortal words of Donkey from Shrek…are like parfaits. And everybody likes parfaits.

I was so into my philosophical thoughts that I hadn't noticed that the seven minutes had already gone by. Kiwi was finally finished, and he flopped down besides Roxas on one side, while Hayner took his other. With both boys leaning on his shoulders, panting like that, Roxas kind of looked like a pimp. I grinned. That wasn't exactly as farfetched as it seemed.

The game went by between other people I wasn't exactly close to after that, and I soon found myself getting to know Olette a little better. She was actually a very observant person, and it was interesting to hear all of the little pieces of info that she had picked up on. Like how she didn't even know that "flippy haired girl with the yellow", but she could tell that she had a thing for Kairi. I'm friends with them, and _I_ didn't even know that! And I thought I was observant…

Finally, after about another forty-five minutes passed, Kairi ended the game to give everyone a chance to catch their breath and refresh themselves before the next festivity. At first I thought this was a bad idea, since the whole point of this was to prevent anyone from wandering off, but when she started leading everyone to this cool room with mirrors and sinks inside, like a powder room, I knew that she was a genius disguised as just a beautiful teenage girl.

I don't want to seem like a boring old drag, but the next couple of games I kind of…slugged my way through. Let's see, there was the game of Baby in the Air, where you try to hit the other player from a long distance. That was a disaster in the making, seeing as how, one, we're in a house, where there are tons of things just waiting to be broken, and two, Kiwi is a freaking Klutz. He never caught the ball, and he was always tagged with them, causing multiple injuries and frequent first aiding.

The game after that was pretty fun, and much more tolerable, although Roxas and Kiwi would probably disagree with that statement. The name of the game was Body Part Tag, and I got to decide which body parts I wanted it to be. Apparently _ass_ isn't a good body part to choose, as this only infuriated Kiwi even more.

Then it was time for Kissing Tag, but that didn't last very long. If Kiwi didn't even want anyone to touch his ass, why would he want someone to kiss him? That, however, was a question that went ignored, as the game provided him with more first kisses than he could handle.

We had just finished the last round of Whistling Bluff, where someone sits on your lap, and you try to figure out who it was by their whistle. I almost won this one, but seeing as how Axel was apparently a sex pot that girls just fawned over, he easily identified every girl by how they sat in his lap. Anyway, so we had just finished that game, and everyone had kind of jointly decided that we all needed a drink.

I figured that this might be the right time to plan my getaway. It wasn't that the games weren't fun and all…it was just that when you had everyone staring at you, watching your every move just because you're gorgeous, things kind of lost their appeal.

Thus, I put my James Bond glasses on, and prepared for my ultimate challenge.

**Mission: Sneak Past Kairi and Not Get My Assed Kicked for Even Trying**

**Enter Sora:**

I think…maybe, if I wasn't so sure that Kairi was my friend and that she loved me…I think she might by trying to get some kind of revenge on me.

Did every game we play have to involve Riku touching me somehow? Huh? Whatever happened to Monopoly? Or Charades? What happened to those games?

I forgave Riku and all of that, but I was supposed to be taking baby steps. Baby steps! And boy, he wasn't making it easy. Every time he touched me, no longer was I blinded by rage and hurt. Now when he touched me, I felt all the emotions I had felt on our last night together back then three years ago, when we…lost our virginity to each other. That's all I saw; all I felt…and it was slowly weakening my resolve.

I watched as he talked to that Olette girl animatedly. Huh, he sure had been talking to her a lot. Maybe I should get to know her too…I mean, Riku was so outgoing, but he had a hard time making _real_ friends. It was surprising that he was doing so, and so soon.

"Now that we've all had a drink and a dance, we can start the festivities again!" Kairi squealed into the microphone as everyone burst in applause. Riku fiddled with the weird bandages around his arm embarrassedly. I stared. What the heck happened? I thought _I_ was supposed to be the clumsy one, not him.

"We can't just sit here and drink away our problems?" Cloud mumbled pitifully next to me. I turned to him and rolled my eyes.

"Stop pretending to be a drunk, Cloud. You don't even _like _alcohol."

"I could!" Cloud protested, but we were interrupted by Kairi's microphone again.

"By the way, if you haven't guessed this yet, all the games here were games that Riku used to like, games that Riku likes now, and games that are just plain kinky!"

More applause. This time there were catcalls directed to Kairi, catcalls that caused both me and Riku to growl a little bit without really noticing. I guess we both had some sort of protective streak going for her.

"Maybe if I back away slowly…" I heard Riku muttering to himself, running a hand through his hair and taking a few steps back. What the- where did he think he was going?

"Okay, so the next official honorary Riku game will be truth or dare! Riku's ultimate favorite game back in the day! Riku, why don't you come up here?" Kairi announced, gesturing for the spotlight to hit Riku just as he was about to leave. I snickered. Looks like he wasn't going anywhere.

"Oh," Riku stammered, looking quite sheepish, "Uh, alright. Thanks Kairi."

A couple of mumbled whispering between the two old companions and five minutes later the name of the game was Truth or Dare.

The party was for Riku, so of course he was going to go first. I suppose, then, that I should have saw the next part coming.

"Kiwi, truth or dare?" Riku asked slyly, leaning back into Cloud's legs. We were all sitting on the floor in a circle, well, at least those who were participating. Everyone else was crowded in the chairs and couches, drinking beer and watching the game intently.

I chewed on my lip. What should I pick? Picking truth was guaranteeing that I would be asked some ridiculous question. And picking truth would make me seem like some kind of…

"Wimp?" Riku challenged with a devious grin. I tucked in my lip and glared at him. Sora Hikaru was no wimp!

"Dare!" I retorted, tilting my head towards him in defiance. Riku's grin only widened as the crowd _oohed_ and _awwed_.

"I dare you to come over and give me a kiss." Riku ordered, folding his arms. My jaw dropped. I _so_ should have seen that coming! Despite all that happened, though, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to kiss him again. Out of all the guys I dated after Riku, and even before, he had always been the best kisser. He had been the only one who had managed to wake up all my senses and cause sensational sparks to go up and down my spine.

But where was Roxas? If Roxas was here, we'd never have to go through this stupid game. One good thing about Roxas was that even though he may come across as mean, he always said what everyone else was thinking. And at this point, I was thinking that this was a horrible idea.

**Enter Riku:**

This may come as a shock, but…I'm kind of an asshole sometimes.

Sora was looking at me like he would melt me if he had heat vision, but I wasn't fooled. I could tell that he wanted it.

"I don't think the game has a time limit, but in this case I'm willing to make an exception. Come on, Sora. What's it going to be?" Kairi finally announced exasperatedly. Kiwi seemed to be frozen into place, and by the look of uncertainty on his face, I could tell he was debating this in his head.

I know that I should be more sensitive to his feelings but…now that I knew for sure that Roxas and Kiwi forgave me, I was all out ready to pursue the things I wanted.

Number one priority?

Kiwi.

He kept glancing down at his hand, and once again I found myself curious about that. What was up with that? Did he burn his right hand or something? Did something happen?

But I quickly found those thoughts taking backseat to that fact that Kiwi was actually coming over here! Finally, after three long years and two days, I was going to feel those irresistibly soft, luscious lips on mine once more!

Once he was about five inches away from me, he looked up at me, and I think I may have died just a little from the pure azure innocence in those eyes. I reached out and caressed his cheek with my thumb. I could hear people around us giggling at us, but I didn't care. As far as I was concerned, this was our world. They were just visiting.

"Okay…one little kiss, Riku. No harm done, right?" He murmured to me, his hands shaking nervously. Aw…that was pretty cute. He was nervous. My grin softened into a gentle smile, and I pulled him towards me with a hand on the small of his back.

"No harm done." I agreed, leaning into him and placing a hand through his soft spikes. His breath was ghosting on my skin, and the urge to touch him was growing too great. I moved my lips closer to him, and he did the same. Our lips had just barely touched…

The sound of Becky Blecks shrieking caused Kiwi and I to jump away from each other in surprise. We both looked up to see the entire household in chaos, true Godzilla style. What were they running from, though? What happened?!

Something hit my leg hard, and I leaned down to rub it. But what I saw shocked me. A small, yellow eyed black creature stared up menacingly at me, and my eyes widened. It was…those things that Cloud used to tell me bedtime stories about. What were they called again?

One of the black things jumped on Becky's head, and started to rip out her hair, causing Trina to scream, "They're so heartless!"

Oh yeah. Heartless. That's what they were called. Those things that Cloud always told me I was allowed to change for, the things I was allowed to become a monster for in order to defeat. Sora gasped next to me, and I looked over at him to see that a giant silver key had materialized in his hand. Sora…had been given a supernatural weapon.

The heartless seemed to be everywhere, and jumping on everyone, and I slightly wondered if they were even as dangerous as Cloud, and everyone right now, was making them. But then I looked to my right. Katrina Woods, one of the cheerleaders who had been nice to Sora, was completely covered with them. I watched silently as what looked like a heart suddenly flew up into the air. I gasped mutely. So they were dangerous.

"Everyone, get downstairs! Go, now!" Kairi yelled, herding all of the guests down the stairs, while Roxas beat the creatures away with a brown stick. I would have rolled my eyes at that had the situation not been so serious. God, Roxas was always trying to fight people with sticks.

"Tarada the Fairy! Wake up! We're not in Never Land anymore! Come on, grab your ass a weapon and get to fighting!" Axel shouted at me, waking me from my observant trance. I blinked down at the object he had placed in my hand. It was a wooden sword, similar to the ones that Sora and I used to fight with. Alright, Riku, time to get fighting.

As I stabbed a heartless with the wood, and as Sora swung blindly at another, I vaguely wondered where the hell Cloud and Leon had gone. Even Yuffie was missing. All three had 

disappeared, and that worried me. I was used to Cloud always rescuing me, so if he wasn't here, who would do that now?

Finally, after a couple of ferocious swings, the heartless I had attacked faded away into black nothingness. Huh…maybe I could do this.

And maybe, if I perfected the art of the fight with this piece of wood, I wouldn't become the monster that Cloud always suggested that I become.

I heard a door slam, and I looked up to see Kairi locking it quickly before placing the key in her bra. She looked up at me in fear, as more heartless began to ooze from the floor.

"That's not going to hold them, is it?" She asked me, seemingly solely intent on protecting the guests and the door. I took a step towards her, the need to protect her growing strong in my heart, when she suddenly screamed, "Sora!"

I whirled around to see a group of heartless taking down Kiwi, trying to get the key in his hand. My eyes widened, and I was about to run over to rescue him, when Kairi beat me to it.

"Hey! You get away from Sora!" She shouted, only to be trapped by a circle of heartless. She put her hand to her lips in fear, before they all pounced on her. I gasped out, and I had no clue who to help first, or what I could even _do_ with this wooden stick.

"Sor? SORA!" Roxas shouted, and he went running for Sora, so I went after Kairi, stabbing the heartless to no prevail. This stick just wasn't strong enough to take them all.

I could see her hand beneath the heartless on top of her, and I furiously tried to grab it, but there was just too many of them. I growled from deep within my soul, and prepared to become the monster I knew I had to, when a sudden cry of "duck!" made me stop and do as I was told.

I raised my eyes and looked up to see Axel suddenly….on fire?!...as he sent powerful blasts of fire towards the heartless piles that were on top of Kairi, Sora, and now Roxas.

When the sound of silence greeted me, I slowly stood up to see all the heartless gone. Kiwi slowly and shakily stood up, using the key to heft him on his knees, and I turned to my right to help up Kairi, who had little cuts all over her legs and arms.

"Are you alright?" I asked her, concerned. She nodded slowly, before placing a hand to her head.

"What…what was that?" She began, but we were both distracted by the sudden screams that were erupting from Axel. Roxas ran over to him, but just as he was about to touch him, his hand came back burned.

"Axel?" Roxas tried, as the fire that had previous erupted from him surrounded Axel in simmering flames. "Axel, what's happening?"

"I'm burning…" Axel replied weakly, calming down slightly at Roxas' voice. "I was…burning."

Kiwi, Kairi and I watched this in bewildered concern, before a distant thumping gained all of our attention. All three of us looked at each other.

"Something is coming, and it sounds like it's coming from outside." Kairi pointed out. Sora and I turned to each other and wordlessly shared understanding nods.

"We'll go out there. If we wait in here, we'll only be leading it to everyone else, and we can't risk that. Roxas, you stay here with Axel. Kairi, you go protect the door, and try calling Cloud. You know his number." I announced, tossing her my cell phone. She nodded, and I turned back to Kiwi. I really didn't want him to go out there. But he was the only one with a true weapon, and I had to think for the welfare of the whole house.

"Let's do it." He nodded, and taking my hand, he led us out the house…and to our fate.

**Enter Sora:**

As we watched the pool water spread continuously as the beatings got louder and closer, suddenly I was starting to ask myself…was this such a good idea?

We didn't even know what this thing was. Speaking of which, what the hell were those things inside the house? They were like little black creatures with no souls. And their eerie yellow eyes had somehow bled themselves into my head, to remain there until I felt safe again.

The pounding suddenly ceased, and I squeezed the key in my hand tighter. I don't know what I was going to do with this, but all I knew was that I was glad I had it. I let out a shaky breath, and that seemed to resound off the walls and into the silence.

"Sora!" Riku suddenly cried out, and I looked up to see a huge black creature with glowing yellow eyes falling towards me. I yelped and held my key up in a last minute attempt to protect myself. Well, here it was. I guess this was the end.

But when another minute passed and I didn't feel any different, I opened one eye slowly. What I saw made me widen my eyes immediately, and let out a shaky gasp. No longer was it Riku next to me, but some older guy I had never even seen before. He was tan and muscled, with glowing yellow eyes and a prominent face. Somehow, something in my heart panged, and a feeling of familiarity washed over me. It was a feeling so strong; I was dying to look into it, but now was neither the time nor place.

I was being held away from the creature by these strange purple tentacles jutting out from the man's back, while the man was surrounded in what appeared to be a hex-like bubble of darkness. With a grunt, the guy actually lifted the creature off of him and into Kairi's pool. My jaw dropped in amazement. Whoa, this guy was strong!

The tentacles gently lowered me back onto the ground, and I watched them do so for a moment before looking back at the man. He stared at me for another moment before turning away and lifting his hood over his head, so that his face was hidden. I took a hesitant step towards him, before a rumbling in the pool caused me to rip my gaze away. The creature had sucked away all of the water and used it to gain more power, as it had grown bigger and stronger.

I turned to the guy in the cloak. "Okay…I don't really know what I'm doing, but I know that this thing has got to go down. You with me?"

The cloaked man looked at me, and because his face was hidden, I couldn't read his expression. Finally, a deep grunt of affirmation was heard, and I turned back to the mysterious being determinedly.

As I ran towards the thing, out of the corner of my eye I could see a key, similar to the one I carried, form into the man's hand, and he lifted it upwards in a cool slashing stance. I gave him a thumbs up before turning back to my target. In my head, I locked onto it, and I visualized a blue circle target to where I planned to slash.

Using my instincts, I slashed the creature's legs in a three combo recession, surprised at myself at the sounds coming from me. Well, it wasn't so much the sounds that shocked me, as was how easily they spewed out. It was almost natural, as if I had done this before.

I could see the stranger in the cloak next to me using his key so easily, I was almost envious. His strokes and movements were so graceful and strong, not like my awkward, almost clumsy strikes. He was even using this blue gel-like stuff to hit him...from his hands!

As the man and I began to weaken the creature, in the back of my mind I realized that no longer was I the clumsy boy from before. Every step I took was thought out, well, sort of…but at least I wasn't falling each minute.

I slashed the thing's legs forcefully and it began to dematerialize, just as the leg that the stranger was working on did as well, and the creature went tumbling legless back into the pool. With a satisfaction that I haven't felt in a long time, I watched as the huge black creature faded into the night, just as it came.

"Yeah! We're awesome! Let's-" I began happily, jumping up in the air in victory, but when I looked over, the cloaked stranger was backing away, looking like he was preparing to run. I froze, afraid that any sudden movements would make him retreat back even more.

"Wait, don't!" I started, letting the words run together in my haste, but it was too late. The cloaked figure that had helped me in Riku's absence had run off, assumedly in the same direction as he had come. I gasped and prepared to run after him, but I could hear calls of my name from behind me; actually, from two voices I was surprised to be hearing from at all.

"Sora!"

"SOR-RA"

I cocked my head to the side and let a slow smile make its way onto my face. The voices belonged to two of my most trusted friends: Goofy and Donald. Now, the thing about those two was that even though they were the lamest and dorkiest friends I have (as if I can talk), they always had the ability to make me smile and be myself, which is what I'd been having trouble with lately with my other friends. Gosh…I just feel like I'm so far from where I was just a few shy days ago. It was kind of comforting to know that Donald and Goofy were here with me now, and unchanged.

"Hey guys!" I exclaimed, as they pummeled into me, effectively causing me to fall to the ground in a clumsy, messy heap. We all laughed shamelessly.

"Sora! We saw you fighting that big, err, shadow-y thing and we justa sorta were wonderin': who was that fella you were playing key wars with?" Goofy wanted to know earnestly, smiling widely at me. Donald rolled his eyes and placed a hand on his hip.

"Goofy! Sora wasn't playing! This is serious!" Donald squawked, and I couldn't help but let out another happy laugh. I missed them so much. I think the last time I saw them was a couple of months ago-Halloween? Well, it didn't matter now. All that mattered was that they were here.

"Yes, it was serious, and no, I have no idea who that guy was. I don't even know what this key is. All I know is that…" I trailed off in my speech, finally noticing that Donald and Goofy were holding weapons of their own. Granted, Goofy's was just a shield, but Donald had some kind of staff looking thing in his hand.

"They just…appeared! We've been fighting them creature things with 'em." Goofy explained as I led them back into the house. Roxas was now asleep, being held by Cloud, who was walking slowly back and forth, as if he were an infant who needed to be comforted. Axel was being lifted up by Leon and…I gulped. Oh no. My dad.

They all looked at me the second Goofy closed the door, and I had to bite back the impulse to go back outside and make a run for it. Dad immediately dropped his end of Axel's legs, much to Leon's disgruntlement, and made his way over to us. I looked away and played with my fingers to distract myself.

"Sora! Are you alright? Where the hell have you been, I've been looking everywhere for-" Dad paused as he took note of the giant key in my hand. His gaze slowly lifted to meet mine, and I quickly tried to save myself.

"Dad, listen, this key, this weird, giant key…it just appeared. Out of nowhere, you know? One minute I'm trying to lock Kairi's window to keep out the weird, attractive man and his girl from getting inside the house, and the next this baby pops up in my hand. Then, meanwhile, Riku is trying to kiss me, and these crazy heartless shadows pop up from the floor," I made spooky noises and waved my hands around eccentrically, "and I look up and suddenly I'm majorly _wrecking_ this huge monster with some strange tanned guy in a cloak."

When I finally finished, panting and my heart racing, I looked around to see that everyone was staring at me like I was some kind of attraction at the freak show convention. Suddenly, and I'm not sure because it could have been the sudden exhaustion, I felt defensive.

"What?! It happened, dammit!" I shouted. As if those were the magic words, everyone was back into action, with Dad returning back to Axel, shaking his head and muttering something darkly to Leon, and Cloud resuming his mother-like fretting over Roxas.

"Where are the others?" I finally asked, feeling so completely spent that I could barely even stand on my own two feet. Goofy and Donald both eyed me uneasily and took up both sides of me, acting as protective covers if I suddenly started to lose balance. Which, of course, I did.

"Sephiroth, Reno and Zach took everyone home after wiping out the rest of the heartless." Cloud answered softly, placing a tender kiss to Roxas' temple. Dad rolled his eyes, and I couldn't blame him. Cloud really was a mom sometimes.

"Oh…Sephiroth is back? Really?" I asked hopefully. Cloud glanced at me but otherwise remained silent. I hummed and nodded my head, but immediately regretted it. I wobbled on my legs a bit, letting Donald and Goofy hold me up.

"Come on, Sora, we better get ya home before you faint of exhaustion." Goofy said, and he lifted me over his shoulder. But I wasn't ready to succumb to sleep just yet. There were a lot of unanswered questions…questions I needed to know the answers to.

"It's good that Sephiroth's back. That must be where…Riku…went." I murmured to myself absently, not noticing the way that Cloud seemed to freeze at the mention of Sephiroth and Riku in the same sentence. "Isn't that where…Riku...is?"

Cloud squinted his eyes at me over Roxas' now flattened hair. "Riku didn't go home?"

I yawned and clutched Goofy's shirt with my fingers. He was such a good friend. Just like Riku…sometimes. "The last time I saw him," I couldn't stifle another yawn, "was when we both went outside to fight that…that…thing. The next thing I know, I look over…and…and…it's not Riku. I mean, he's not there anymore. So Sephiroth musta gottem."

I was distinctly aware that I was slurring my words, but I was too tired to really care. Actually, I was too tired to notice a lot of things. Like the way that Cloud had placed Roxas down and was running past me back outside, shouting something that I couldn't hear. Or the way that Axel was suddenly screaming in pain again, or the way that the key in my hand seemed to just fade away once more.

All I know is that I was so ready to just sleep away this whole nightmare…

Sleep…away this life.

**Enter Riku**:

"_All four of them slept right through Sunday. I had no idea that that incident would affect them so much."_

"_Riku…Riku, I…I've waited so long to speak to you. And now that I can...you aren't even conscious."_

"…_You…like so many others…truly hate me. I debated returning prior to that girl's party in order to…to just see you, but the previous statement…that one little fact…stopped me."_

"_Don't worry, Riku. I haven't left you. I haven't even gone to the apartment yet in fear that you would wake up and go, "where's my Cloud?" just like you did when you were here when you were just a kid."_

"_Riku! Wake up! Our plan worked, so you need to wake up! Roxas woke up an hour ago, so now it's your turn. Since when have you let Roxas beat you in anything! Come on…you…you need to wake up, okay?"_

All of these voices…I just wanted them to go away so I could go back to sleep.

"_Riku? You up yet? Come on, Riku. I'm up. So it's time for you to get up. Otherwise…we'll be thrown off balance!"_

Kiwi. That was Kiwi's voice. Alright already, I was getting up. I groaned a little, and tried opening my eyes, but found with a startling realization that I couldn't. I could hear little buttons around me beeping furiously as my heart started to pound wildly, but I still couldn't see!

"Riku? Riku! Riku, you're up! But…but what's wrong?" Kiwi asked me. I could recognize his voice, but I still couldn't see. Then it hit me. Oh my god…was I blind?

And then, suddenly, the darkness that prevented me from opening my eyes was lifted, allowing me to open my eyes into those beautiful blues that I was so fond of. I was…I was cured!

"I'm not blind?" I asked, surprised to find that my voice was croaky and kind of sounded like I needed to clear my throat. Kiwi laughed and leaned away from me, holding up a black blindfold, and now that he was no longer my only view I could focus on the entire room. Cloud and Leon were snuggling together on the couch, while Sephiroth was leaning against the wall, arms folded and eyes sharp, watching them silently. Axel was sleeping in the hospital cot next to me, his skin red and with a slightly burned tint to it, with Roxas sleeping on one side of him, and Namine on the other.

I was slightly surprised to see Zexion and Demyx there too, both asleep on the wooden table, holding hands in their sleep. And finally in the room, there was Kairi, who was curled up in a little ball next to me, on my bed.

I softened and scooted over a bit to give her some more room. Then I pulled her into my arms and under the covers, feeling a bit happy to finally be back in brother mode with her. Kiwi watched us with an unreadable expression on his face, and I looked up to see Sephiroth had now turned his gaze to me, staring at me with an expression similar to Sora's.

"Riku." Sora finally sighed, crawling onto the bed from the other side and curling up next to me. "Riku."

And in that one proclamation, I knew. And really, I probably knew it from the beginning.

I knew, I mulled around in my mind, trying not to let sleep take me just yet…I knew that everything would be alright between us in the end.

And with that thought, I let myself succumb once more to sleep, one last thought ringing through my mind.

And that thought was,

_Birth by sleep…_

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**Well...so much for this not being "nearly as long." Yeah, it was, and I'm sorry! I was actually going to split this in half, but I don't think the first half of the story is very strong, so I just couldn't. Alright, so this ends part one! Tell me what you think!**


	12. The Reality

**Hey guys! Here's an update! I know this is way past overdue, but I do have a life, and most of it involves school. That's my excuse of the update XD. But as my New Year's resolution, I want to get better about it. Updating, I mean. It's not really fair to you guys. So I hereby apologize. On the bright side, the next two chapters are already written, so expect those really really soon. I want to span it out, of course, but it sure isn't going to be four months again. I'd expect the next update in a week or two.**

**Reviewers (as if you guys remember what you wrote :P):**

**Chronos mephistopheles**_**-** Plushie! _^^ Maybe you shouldn't have told me to slack off, since it looks like I did XD. Thank you!

**RecklessxDreamer-** Of course it wouldn't bore me! I wrote it, didn't I? But no, I LOVE long reviews. So thank you so much!

**hanakitsunechan7-** Good question...muhahahaha, and I'm sorry but you can't know that answer until two more chapters! :D Suspense! Thanks for your comments!

**SuperFriendlySoraFan203-** Why thank you! Unfortunately this chapter doesn't really make up for the wait, but its necessary, I guess :( On a brighter note, thanks for your review! I think I shall dedicate my next update/one-shot/story/whateverIcomplete to you for the holidays because you always review! Thanks so much!

**Maiami-** No prob, it took me a loooong time to review too. But I don't mind because I think its great that someone can take the time out of their day in another part of the world to review my story, no matter how constructive or unconstructive it is! Thanks for doing so!

**midnightvisions**- Lol, thank you, I'm glad you liked it so much! Yeah, I think the last chapter was definitely one of my favorite to write. Second to Chappie 9, of course XD! Thanks!

**Scootkadoot**- Thank you! I'm glad you felt that way!

**L'uke-chan**- Thanks so much! Yeah, I have a hard time choosing too! Which...is weird...since...I wrote it...:) Anyway, thanks for the review!

**Okay, I know this isn't the kind of chapter you want, or the kind you were expecting after such a long time. But this is one of the most crucial chapters of the entire story. This chapter takes place during the party, and explains the reason why everything happened. I don't expect you readers to be amazed like the others, however...I hope you can appreciate the explainations? And don't worry...all will be explained in Riku's POV, which will be the chapter after next. **

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Maleficent watched interestedly at the young clumsy keyblade master and the princess through the Waterfall of Truth. The water came down in a mist so strong that it could reveal the whereabouts of any human in any world. And the added perk? Only those who carried the golden blood of the original Guardians could wield it. Yes…this was an outstanding perquisite…she was the only original Guardian left alive.

Klutz, as she liked to deem him, was freaking out over the Dark One's visit to the Princess's home, something that she was a little unsure as to why it held importance where that silver haired one (the Dark One) decided to visit. However, she had come to the conclusion that Klutz and the Dark One had an affair or tryst carrying on, or perhaps in the past, and that was where his insecurities lay.

"Pete…" She purred in the deeply seductive tone her voice naturally carried. Pete, her number one accomplice, blinked hazily with a goofy smile, an effect of her unintentional seduction, before quickly clearing his throat and making his way over to where she sat in her throne of heartless.

"Your highness?" He asked respectfully, bowing slightly. Maleficent smiled, extended one slender arm towards him, and gently rested her left hand on his heart. She felt it speed up at her light touch.

"Klutz's heart," she began, considerably darker than she had been previously, however her voice did not lose any of its appeal; "I want it in my palm."

Pete sputtered almost instantly, the spell that her dark charm had on him broken at the impossible and psychotic request. "Your highness, that's ridiculous! Not only is that a feet damn near crazy impossible considering the countless Guardians, Mercenaries and soon Organization members near him, and not only would the Dark One never allow that, but come on. Do you really think his heart is even worthy to beat in your palm?"

Maleficent, still with a firm and determined grasp on her facial composure, suddenly squeezed Pete's heart through the fabric with her long, extremely sharp nails. Did he really just tell her what she could and could not do? Did he have any idea how many hearts she had eaten?

"Maleficent!" Pete cried, his hands flailing around, unsure whether grabbing at her hand to try to pull it away would make things worse for him or if not doing it would allow for her to kill him. "Please, I meant no harm! I was only explaining the situation to you is all!"

Maleficent stood up, letting go of her hold on his chest, only to claw itself on his neck. A deep satisfaction stirred in her at how purple he began to turn.

"You, along with every powerful demon I can conjure and discover, will assist me in not only retrieving Demyx for my retrieval of the Triton, but will also bring Klutz's beating heart into my hand!"

And with that, she swirled herself into a black butterfly and flew away, leaving Pete lying on the floor, attempting to catch his stolen breath.

_**8:45 P.M. Saturday**_

Pete sighed, officially frustrated, as he circled the Princess' house for what had to be the eleventh time, trying to find an opening besides the obvious door. And it wasn't easy trying to do it while fitting in the invisible cloak she had made for him. It was three sizes too small!

"Damn Maleficent with her confounded cloak!" Pete grumbled loudly as his eyes finally landed on a small window leading to the basement. Well, it was true! She was always giving him the most impossible situations she could find, just so he could screw up and end up in her wrath! "Damn her!"

"I would watch what you say, chap." An arrogant-sounding, annoyingly and rightfully conceded voice said, causing Pete to lose his footing and go tumbling face first in the window. The glass shattered under his weight, not only giving away his position, but also landing him completely and utterly stuck. Damn!

"Oh, and why is that?" Pete demanded with as much authority he could muster as he was stuck mid-body in a window. "Please, Balthier, enlighten me."

"Maleficent has eyes everywhere. I would watch your back." Balthier sang, pointing up in the sky with his Capella gun at a black bird. It crowed scornfully at them. "Diablo has been watching you circle that house like a lunatic for an hour."

What? How did he not notice that himself? And why was Maleficent sending Diablo, her entrusted crow, to watch him? Did she expect him to betray her?

"She is not afraid of where your loyalties lay. She only distrusts your ability to carry out the mission." Fran, the stunningly beautiful vierra who traveled with Balthier everywhere commented sagely, reading his emotions easily. Pete frowned. These people made it impossible to even breathe without them knowing about it.

"Shall we assist him?" Fran asked Balthier, turning to him with regality. Balthier glanced at the sky, weighing his advantages and disadvantages. If they helped old Pete-y get himself out of the mess he rightfully started, they could carry out the mission was no hitch. But if they left him there, the two of them could take over and get the Pete's share of the money pot. Decisions.

"Isn't anyone gonna help him?" Vaan, some kid who had started following Balthier and Fran, for some reason that none of them really understood, asked, his attitude seeping into his voice. Pete humphed indignantly; he didn't need some punk to help him.

"You have arms." Balthier commented lightly, nodding towards Pete. "No one's stopping you."

Vaan gave Balthier a look before glancing back at the giant idiot who had gotten himself stuck in the window. On the one hand, if he helped him out here, Pete would be eternally in his debt for not having to get Maleficent to pull him out herself. But then again, having this fool alongside with them was ridiculously costly to their time, and their patience. Decisions.

"Nah, let's go. It's not like he was ever nice to us or anything." Vaan reasoned after a second, putting his hands behind his head and stepping over Pete, letting his foot stay in his back for longer than necessary. "Besides, he'll only slow us down."

Fran and Balthier exchanged shrugs before following him, leaving Pete rooted to the spot. Vaan was right; he was never anything but rude to them. And it was true.

Pete roared angrily. Fine. He didn't need those damn idiots to help him anyway. He'd get out of this mess himself!

_**9:30 P.M. Saturday**_

Pete was still stuck.

Damn it.

_**10:25 P.M. Saturday**_

Fran and Balthier walked together towards the Princess's front door quietly, both unconsciously keeping one eye on Vaan at all times and the other on each other as they held an important conversation.

"I sense your feelings. They're very strong." Fran sighed, letting her eyebrows droop slightly to let him know how serious she was being right now. "I sense they're directed towards me."

Yes, romance was _very_ important.

Balthier rolled his eyes but gave her a fond look. "That's always been my favorite attribute about you. You can always tell how a man is feeling."

"You guys aren't going to start going all mushy on me, are you?" Vaan groaned from in front of them. "I can still hear you, you know."

Balthier cocked his head and prepared to say something- probably witty and sarcastic, no doubt- but Fran suddenly stopped, glancing up at the balcony of the house with perfectly graceful sharpness.

"I sense her. She's up on the balcony." Fran announced, and she and Balthier went striding up towards the entrance.

"Is Klutz with her?" Balthier asked urgently. Fran shook her head but did not stop walking.

"I do not sense him with her, but she should know where we can locate him."

Balthier nodded and shrugged. Ah well, it was all routine to him.

Vaan, however, was a little more accustomed to how teenagers thought. And he was pretty sure that all the teenagers inside would think this was kind of weird for them to be there.

"Wait! You can't just go in there!" Vaan insisted, stepping in the shadows so no one could see him. "I mean, we need to hide, or find a disguise or something."

Fran tilted her head at him in confusion. "We would not need to disguise ourselves. If violence was to occur, we would still use our weapons, would we not? Then there are no advantages to disguises." She reasoned.

Balthier raised an eyebrow at Vaan. "And besides that, do you happen to have some disguises with you? Somehow I didn't remember seeing you stuff three burglar outfits inside of your pockets while we were in Bhujerba."

Vaan rolled his eyes, but that didn't do anything for the concern. He squinted as the moonlight hit Balthier and Fran's clothes, giving it almost green tint. Oh god, was that residue from when he gave them some magic to make them stronger?

"You guys! You're supposed to dust yourselves off after you use a magick!" He hissed. But neither of them stopped walking. Both nearly grunted in affirmation before dusting off the green magic as they walked. Vaan sighed. Ugh, way to be prepared.

Whatever. He had his own little side mission to attend to anyway. He had to find Penelo.

He sighed yearningly. Penelo. She had been there for him, emotionally and physically, since they were little kids. Both of them were orphans, so they had always been each other's parents. Well, Penelo was like his at least.

But then, just when they were both starting to get closer to having a real relationship, she just disappeared. He had come here to figure out what happened when he was introduced to Maleficent, and that's when he was told that she was kidnapped by the Guardians of Destiny Island.

He didn't really like Maleficent- she freaked him out- but Fran and Balthier, who were working for her for some reason he didn't understand, he had befriended instantly. Or, in better words, attached himself to.

Still. Sometimes they didn't think things through. And that's when he had to just separate from them for a while.

He waited until Fran and Balthier walked into the house before he slowly followed them inside, making sure to close the door quietly behind him. He looked at his surroundings. Huh. This sure as hell didn't look like a place that would kidnap someone. Well, whatever, you never knew these days with people.

Vaan could hear gasps and sighs presumably at Fran's beauty in the main room set aside for dancing, so he decided to go to the basement, where he figured he could search for Penelo easily without being spotted.

But when he got down there, for some reason it was empty. He turned around to go back upstairs, but the door suddenly shut and locked behind him. He instantly pulled out his sword, but it didn't matter. It looked like he was trapped all alone in this basement.

_**11:00 P.M.**_

Pete finally managed to wiggle himself inside the window, at last falling into the basement and straight into that brat Vaan. He grunted. Well. At least that little waste of flesh would suffer somehow. Vaan squirmed underneath him.

"Get off!" He shouted, finally just stabbing him in the butt with the tip of his sword. Pete shot up in the air.

"YOUCH!"

Vaan rolled his eyes and stood up, dusting himself off and glancing up at the window that Pete had already busted a little while ago. "You're gonna have to fix that, you know."

Pete laughed, and it was so roaring and annoying Vaan just outright covered his ears. "As if! That's what I have you for!"

Vaan sighed, irritated, and walked back over to where he had been reading some files on Guardians he found buried deep inside a dictionary in the bookshelf. Based on the information, it actually looked like the Guardians were the good guys. Whereas Maleficent…

Pete noticed what he was reading and his eyes, which were already beady enough, widened. Then they instantly narrowed. He took a couple of steps towards Vaan's back quietly.

"You, uh, might want to put that down." He murmured darkly, but the annoying young blonde didn't even notice he had just spoken. Humph. Figured. Well whatever, he was going to have to dispose of him now anyway now that he knew the truth.

"Maleficent killed all of these people just to have control of their souls? She attempted to kill a princess just because she wasn't invited to a party? What the hell kind of crazy woman am I working for?!" Vaan exclaimed, shutting the file shut and tucking it away in his knapsack. He whirled around to face Pete. "I've got to tell Balthier and Fran about this! Pete, did you kno-"

But as Vaan had whirled around, he had managed to dodge Pete's sword just in the nick of time, inevitably falling on his butt from the momentum. He stared up at him in shock. What? Sure, they weren't friends, but they still worked together. Why would he try to kill him?

"What are you doing?!" Vaan demanded, but even as the words came out of his mouth he had to flip backwards to avoid another attack. Pete snarled and made another wild attack, this time managing to hit him in the chest.

"Ah!" He gasped in pain, pulling out his sword with one hand and holding his stomach with the other. He smirked humorlessly.

"I should have just killed you when you were stuck in that stupid window." He spat, managing to recover from the attack. Above him, he could hear a couple of inquires about the noise they were making. Pete didn't even seem to notice.

"Maleficent gave me orders to dispose of you if you discovered too much about her, and now's the time to fulfill that request." Pete grinned evilly, clumsily circling him. Vaan watched his movements with narrowed eyes.

"Those are big words for you. What, you write that sentence on your hand?" He retorted, and that's when Pete summoned the heartless.

Vaan gulped. Crap. Maybe poking fun at Pete while he was trying to kill him wasn't the best idea.

_**11:08 P.M.**_

"What does the boy even look like?" Balthier whined, not even noticing all of the pair of female eyes on him in yearning, and all of the same eyes on Fran in jealousy and awe. Fran led them through the dance floor which was covered with teenagers sitting in some kind of circle, bumping past a slender, slightly muscled spiky haired brunette who was exiting a closet. She nodded to him by way of apology.

And then she stopped.

Brunette…slender but muscled…spiky hair…blue eyes…

Balthier read Fran's face and understood. That was the one they needed to bring back to Maleficent.

But just as they turned to go get him, the circle dispersed, becoming a cluster of excited teenagers for the game they were about to play. Fran pulled Balthier behind a corner, pressing her back into it to shield herself from any bystander at the right angle. Balthier did the same before giving her a look.

"He seems to have a lot of friends. We'll have to lure him." He concluded, unloading his gun and placing it back in its holder. Fran similarly wrapped her bow back behind her, near her arrows.

"That sounds correct. We will have to convince him with wit, not strength or brute force." She agreed, and both walked back around casually, glancing around for him once more. They found him now sitting next to a brunette girl, gasping as a silver haired boy said something to him.

"I shall approach him first-" Fran began, but she stopped, and at the exact moment in which their target made a movement to kiss the silver haired boy, a hoard of heartless slithered up from the ground. Fran whipped out her bow and hit one of them just as it was about to attack Balthier. He gave her a sardonic half grin.

"Guess your bow was ready and fertile, eh?" He joked, but Fran shook her head as she sought out the boy through all the chaos and panic of the teenagers being attacked.

But Balthier, who had already disregarded their mission all together, had this bad feeling in his stomach. Where did Vaan wander off to? And why did he have this feeling that he needed their help?

"Fran…where is Vaan?" He asked, and that was all he needed to bring up before she took all of her senses and intuitions away from their target and to their newfound friend. Where _was_ Vaan…?

_**11:15 P.M.**_

He had never asked for this.

Having to defend himself against someone he had considered an ally, he meant. All he wanted was to have Penelo back in his life. It had been three weeks since he last saw her, and everyone back in Rabanastre was incredibly worried about her. Especially himself.

But now, instead of looking for her some more, he was trying not to be killed by this giant oaf who was the accomplice of a psychotic bitter old wench who couldn't stand to be excluded from a baby shower.

So no, he had _definitely_ never asked for this stupid bull. Besides that, now their entire mission (if there was even a mission now…there was no way he was going to let that poor boy get his heart eaten) was corrupted, because those heartless things were practically unmanageable by anyone but Maleficent, and had made their way upstairs!

Vaan threw up his sword at the exact same time Pete threw down his, struggling to avoid the other sword from splitting him in two. He rather liked both sides of his body, thanks.

"Everyone get downstairs!" A rather cute sounding girl cried, and the door from above them unlocked and opened. He and Pete exchanged panicked glances before both jumping away from each other. They would have to finish this later.

"The window!" Vaan hissed, and both jumped for it at the same time. Except Pete pushed him down. And used him to reach the window. And left him there! Crap!

In the back of his mind, he knew this was karma somehow. But he wasn't going to let the front part think about that right now. Right now he needed to hide! He managed to leap behind a long cement covered rail that was _just_ wide enough to hide him as people started to step into view. He peaked around the rail.

"What do you think those things were Yunie?" A slim, green eyed blonde girl asked her beautiful brunette friend. The brunette merely shrugged and held up a gun with a gloomy expression on her face.

"I don't know, but I found this random gun in my pocket. I wonder if Kairi put it in there so I'd kill myself for being such a bad girlfriend." This so called "Yunie" sighed, plopping down against the rail. Vaan quickly ducked behind the railing again.

"Kairi is crazy about you, so I would not worry about her. What I am worried about is whether or not you are so ready to give up Tidus, the love of your life." Another girl responded, this one sounding slightly monotonic.

"Maybe your right. I mean…Tidus has always been a part of my life somehow. He helped me become the person I am today. He made me confident, made me feel beautiful, and showed me some of the greatest places in the world." Yunie explained. "But…there's something so…awesome about Kairi. She gets me so, so...so…"

"Turned on?" The blonde girl chirped, and the other two burst out laughing. Vaan sighed inwardly. Jeez, was this what he was going to have to listen to for the next couple of hours until everyone left?

"So are you still crushing on that Riku guy, Paine?" Yunie asked, and Vaan rolled his eyes, making a crushing movement with his hands. This…was…so…lame!

"No, I think that's a bad territory to go into. He seems to be like, in love with Klutz. Besides, every single girl in Destiny Island seems to have the hots for him. Even that cute new girl Penelo seems to think he's the cutest thing since poodles." The other girl, Paine, answered.

It took a second for Vaan to register what was said. Once he did though, all he could think about was Penelo. PENELO. PENELO!

"PENELO!" Vaan shouted, jumping out from the rail. The three girls shrieked and the brunette one shoved her gun in his face. But what did he care? Penelo was here!

Wait…who the hell was Riku?

"Who are you?! And why were you listening to our conversation?!" The blonde one demanded, crossing her arms. Vaan blinked down at her innocently.

"I was frightened by those creatures so I came down to hide. And I happened to hear you mention my darling friend Penelo, so I became excited…" He lied sincerely, widening his eyes at them. The brunette, Yunie, frowned sheepishly and pulled down her hand.

"Sorry. I'm just a little…you know…on edge. I'm Yuna." She introduced, smiling at him. Once more, up close, Vaan was struck with just how beautiful Yuna was. Still, she was definitely no Penelo.

"I'm Vaan." He offered up, completely losing the shy act. Please. As if…the last time he was shy he must have been three years old.

"I'm Rikku!" The blonde introduced, bouncing up in his space and pulling his face down to look at her. She gazed in his eyes intently. Uh…space? He widened his eyes over at Yuna, but she just shrugged and giggled.

"You, Vaan, are lying." She decided, stepping back. What? How did she know?! The other two girls were silent before the last one, a girl with cropped brown hair and violet red eyes, pushed Rikku out of the way.

"Please ignore her. Her skills at determining whether or not someone is lying are just as bad as her own skills at it. I'm Paine." Paine introduced, holding out an arm for him to shake. He smiled and took her hand. He was going to like her. She had sass.

Hmm…well, he supposed he could hang with them for a couple of hours. At least until he found Penelo…

But little did he know that the one he wanted closer to him was already closer than he thought.

_**11:25 P.M.**_

Balthier shoved past another screaming teenage cheerleader as he struggled to catch up to Fran, finally just rolling his eyes and standing completely still. Whatever, if she wanted to leave him, she could leave him.

Finally Fran paused, and without turning around commented, "If you cannot keep up, perhaps we should not bother to escape at all."

Balthier gave her a scornful look behind her back that he knew she could sense. "Quite frankly you're going too fast."

Fran sighed and strode back up to him, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the front door. She took a couple of steps back and kicked the door open, practically dragging Balthier outside.

"We're just going to leave Vaan?" Balthier wanted to know, cocking an eyebrow at her. She pushed her long silvery white ponytail behind her shoulders and peered at him.

"I believe he is the one that did not come with us. Besides, he knows his way to the ship. We will not depart from the area, only from this location. It is too dangerous."

"Oh."

"Balthier?"

"Yeah?"

"I realize the only reason you walked so slow was to get me to hold your hand."

"Ah, I like them sharp!"

_**11:25 P.M.**_

Maleficent leaned back in her chair, absorbing all of what Pete told her. So Vaan realized what she had done in the past…hmm, that did not mean he wasn't willing to do what she asked him. Everyone could be controlled with the right…persuasions…

"Pete, you can forget about Klutz for a while, my appetite has been quenched anyway. Let us return to our previous mission. Bring me Demyx…" Maleficent ordered, watching Pete with a squinted eye. He was puffing and breathing heavily, having just run all the way back to their lair. She would normally have been pissed that he risked compromising their location, but Pete was such an imbecile that she doubted deeply that anyone would follow him.

"But…your Highness…you no longer hunger for Klutz?" He asked in confusion. She smiled pleasantly.

"I do so dreadfully craze his heart; however it is as I said. My appetite has been quenched. All I need you to do is bring me Demyx." Maleficent raised her eyes to the ceiling in thought. "Perhaps that Zexion boy who has my book as well. He should be an easy conquest. I will find someone to give me Klutz."

Pete was indignant, an attitude he would not have gotten away with had it not been for her good and generous mood. "Your Highness, you mean to say that you want Vaan, Balthier and Fran to take Klutz?! I'm just as capable."

Maleficent rolled her eyes. "I know you are, Pete. This is why you are in charge of bringing me Demyx and Zexion. Oh, and don't involve those annoying Guardians again."

Pete blinked. "What about the Mercenaries?"

"Hmm, yes, yes, involve the Mercenaries. Inform the Mercenaries and the Organization…and watch the chicken run around with its head cut off."

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**And now you know your antagonists! Whoo! And see, everything was all just a misunderstanding! XD Yeah right.**

**Anyway, as I said, expect the next update quickly, as soon as I get access to my computer again. It should be next week or so.**

**So...um...review if you'd like. I would still like to know your thoughts, even if they're disappointed :)**

**Oh, and expect your holiday gift REALLY soon! Hint! XD**


	13. The First Step Forward

**What, wait...what's this? Is this...an UPDATE? So soon? Why yes. Yes readers, this is a review! Yay! I actually updated on some semblance of a reasonable time! Yay! Let's all applaud the learning fanfic writer!**

**Now.**

**Okay, so yep, here's a real chapter. Long once more. I have a feeling that they're going to be a habit, so get used to having long chappies. Although, the thought has occured to me that if I started to split these up, the wait wouldn't be so long. What do you prefer? Longer chapters, longer wait, or shorter chapters, shorter waits (although not a guarentee)?**

**OMG new Reviewers!:**

**(Chapter 1) Sora's Sacrafice- **Thank you! Keep reading to find out! Oh, and yeeeeeah. Lesbianism is very much in store. Sorry! :)

**L'uke-chan**- Sho nuff! Pssh, it confused me, and I wrote it! Ah yes, the love between a woman and a bleeding heart is very strong, lol. Thanks! (Really cute poem, btw!)

**(Chapter 3) Jayrin Paige**- I know! Thank you! Kiwi! -cooes too-

**(Chapter 1) ScreamforSOH**- Aw, thank you so much!

**(Chapter 6) Naruta13**- Omg, Sheila, you are! Hehe, I'll have to make you a regular now!

**hanakitsunechan7**- Aw, thank you! Glad you understand that real life is always number 1. But I try to get the chapters out when I can. Lol, I'm pretty sure the party is over...but you never know, Demyx could've found a sitar and hosted a sitar listening beach party somewhere! Lol, jk, thanks for the review!

**Naruta13**- You're way ahead of me, Naruta. Hyperventilation has not vanished...its...well, you'll see. :) You're actually the only one who's noticed, so that's really great that you like my story so much to have remembered! Thank you!

**(Chapter 11) Inuzukagirl77**- Well, long review for a long chapter. It balances out. XD And I know, right? I was just sitting there flipping through channels when I saw it on, and I was like, "huh, I better give Blue and Steve a hello!" and suddenly I see some guy who was definitely NOT in a green sweater, named Joe! Haha, but ignore that. Thanks for the review!

**Alright, I won't keep ya! Get to reading!**

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Enter Sora:

_**How do you go back to the way things were, after someone's hurt you? How do you forgive and forget like nothing's happened?**_

Even though all hospitals pretty much suck majorly, there_ is_ something kind of fun about being in one with all of your friends. And yeah, sure, okay, so we had to perform horrible, ridiculous fitness tests that pretty much immobilized us with exhaustion. But that didn't match up to the fact that we all had cots right next to each other, in our own room!

Not to mention the free ice cream!

"Honestly, you boys really should be a little bit more respectful. Many patients in this hospital aren't as lucky as you are to get these privileges." Our nurse, Nurse Tifa, chided us as she handed us all individual bowls of cookie dough ice cream. We had pushed our cots together so they were like one individual bed, and were all now playing Scrabble.

Now, that may not seem like a very…chaos inducing game…but when you play it with a bunch of 16, 17 and 18 year olds, it gets pretty dirty and awe-inducing.

"Do the rules say anything about spelling changes to the words?" Riku asked distractedly as he switched some letters around in his little bin. "Like switching out some letters, only it still makes sense when you pronounce it?"

"Riku, just take your turn already. The sand has been gone in that hourglass for like…an hour. It's just a freaking game." Roxas finally snapped, getting impatient at Riku's "strategic playing". I shrugged pointedly at Riku. He had a point there. Besides, now that Riku was taking so long, we all had to resign ourselves to watching a Dora the Explorer marathon on the room's TV, and while the show was cute and whatnot, it got really _estupido_ after the first ten episodes.

"Fine. Okay, here. M-A-S-T-U-R. Master. There." Riku huffed, placing his letters down on the board with what appeared to be male pride. I let out an amused breath while Roxas immediately began challenging it, and pointing out, with good reason, that M-A-S-T-U-R was not the same as M-A-S-T-E-R, even if it did sound the same.

As they argued loudly, I couldn't help but notice the way Tifa was staring longingly at Riku. Um…why was she looking at him that way? Yeah, I know Riku is beautiful and stuff, but that wasn't really the kind of look he received on a regular basis. Especially not by an adult. But her staring, and my staring at her staring, were both interrupted by Axel's sudden exasperated declaration of, "look, just add a couple of letters, like this, and it becomes a real word. Now will you two both kindly zip it? Some people are trying to watch the damn TV!"

I glanced down at the Scrabble board. Axel had added -_bation_, making Riku's word into _masturbation_. I rolled my eyes at him. Nice.

"Oh boys. What am I going to do with you?" Tifa sighed, as she took the game from us, subtly hinting at us to eat our ice cream before it melted with a piercing look. Riku sighed too, and for some strange reason, it sounded like a carbon copy of Tifa's.

"Well, you could always release us." Riku suggested, half-playing but half-serious. We all perked up at that. The four of us had been trying to get out of this hospital for hours! And I know that hospitals have protocol and stuff for this kind of thing, but still! We had taken all our tests and passed with flying colors, were in perfectly good health, and all been good little boys by waiting patiently in our room and obeying all orders. There was absolutely no reason for us to still be here. And yeah, okay, so maybe this was better than going to school on a Monday morning. But it was still kind of a waste of time.

"You know I can't, Riku. I really wish I could but…I can't do anything for you." Tifa admitted, and, in a move that shocked all of us, began to tear up. Roxas furrowed his brow a little in confusion, and even Axel had dragged his attention from the screen to stare at Tifa.

Riku stood up and went to Tifa, wrapping his arms around her and giving her a little hug. "Hey. Shh…it's alright. We understand. I was just joking around, Nurse Tifa."

Roxas and I exchanged bewildered looks. As if I knew what the hell was going on…

"Okaaaay…" I drawled confusedly, tilting my head at them.

Riku had been this strange little enigma, a puzzle -if you will- that I hadn't been able to take my eyes off of ever since the party. I couldn't help but watch him obsessively, unable to guess what he would do next, and eager to know what he would do. It was just that…now that I didn't have the anger and guilt blocking me like a shield I didn't know how to act around him. Everything thus far that I had said to him was categorized into three things: 1. when I thought out every little thing I would say to him next. 2. When I was in the mood, so the words just popped out; this had backfired many times because they usually got me in trouble, those words, and 3. When I was embarrassed, meaning that whenever I felt really mortified, words would just ooze out, like, like word vomit.

Not to mention that whenever I do say something category three embarrassing, I blush like crazy, so everyone suddenly knows that I've just said something stupid. It's beyond frustrating. Of course, Roxas finds it funny. But at what expense?!

The hospital door suddenly opened, and in sauntered Kairi in all of her beauty, holding four bags of McDonalds and looking very proud of herself. She paused when she noticed Tifa and Riku, but otherwise remained the same, coming over to us with a huge smile on her face.

"Hey guys! How are you all doing?" She asked happily, plopping down in the middle of us, where the scrabble board used to preside. "I brought you some real food!"

Roxas snorted and shook her head at her, no doubt resorting back to his artificial food phobia. I don't know what his deal was, but I loved fake foods. And that's not even saying the McDonald's food was fake! Kairi gave him a look before tossing him a bag with his name on it.

"I got you Subway, Mr. Ungrateful." She snorted as he thankfully tossed the McDonald's bag aside when he fished out his sandwich. She tossed us all individual bags with our names on them, peering up at Tifa, who had long since let Riku go. "I'm sorry, Nurse Tifa, had I known you were here I would've picked you up something too. Hospital food has to get old after a while."

Tifa just laughed and cocked a hip at her. "Sweetheart, when Tifa's around, nothing ever gets old."

We all gave her strange looks before turning back to our food, exchanging wry looks behind her back. I don't care _what_ Riku says, that woman is odd.

"Well, I'd better take off. I had just wanted to give you your desert before I left for the day. I'll tell the crew not to send you any dinner since Kairi was nice enough to give you some already." She finally said cheerfully.

"Bye, Nurse Tifa!" We chimed together like good little school boys as she walked out the room, shutting it gently behind her. Once her footsteps faded, we all sighed in relief and relaxed.

"I hate being a good boy." Axel grumbled, taking a big bite out of his Big Mac. Kairi had taken care to order us the food we liked most since she knew us so well. That was so like Kai, always looking out for us, especially now that we were in the hospital. She'd gotten Axel a Big Mac with cheese and a large order of fries, Roxas a Cold Cut Trio Sub with real apple chips, Riku a Double Quarter Pounder with cheese and an apple pie, and me a Premium Grilled Chicken Classic sandwich with a medium order of fries.

"Please. Making dirty words on a Scrabble board hardly seems like good boy material. Besides, you're a pyro." Roxas pointed out, humming in satisfaction at the taste of fresh meat with real apple chips. I snorted. EWW…it was too healthy for my taste.

"And you're weird." He retorted around his burger. "You're too healthy for your own good."

Riku laughed, leaning back on his elbows and accidentally brushing his long hair against my cheek, causing me to break out in a deep blush. Oh man…I was going to have to control myself!

"What we need to do is lock him up in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory." He suggested to Axel, and both of them burst out in guffaws. Kairi rolled her eyes before yanking Riku back up to a sitting position. "Sit up while you eat, before you get sick and delay your release even further."

I took this as a chance to join into the conversation and distract myself even further from Riku's perfection. "Speaking of that, did they mention anything to you when you signed in at the front desk?"

Kairi sighed and shook her head, letting the locks fall back gently into place around her face. I was struck with the fact that both of my best friends were ridiculously beautiful. Even Axel and Roxas were abnormally sexy, although with Roxas it was more of an adorable sexiness. And me? A klutz.

Don't think that my clumsiness had faded. No, I was still just as klutzy as ever, maybe even more so since the party. I had already broken three of the machines in our room, two TV sets, and had dropped five glasses of water. Water I then proceeded to slip on, sending me inevitably flying into Nurse Tifa's perky bosom.

Exactly.

"Well at least we're done with those stupid fitness tests. If I have to run for three hours on that treadmill again, I'm going to rip it out of the wall and throw it at them." Riku complained, but grinned playfully at me. "Then again, if we were all as horrible at it as Kiwi here, maybe the three of us could get exempt from it too."

I sputtered indignantly, but the four of my "friends" just ignored me and kept chatting as if I couldn't hear them.

Axel smirked. "Funny. But can we all just put a pause on everything so someone can answer me this: why do you call him Kiwi?"

Kairi and Roxas both looked at each other before bursting out laughing while Riku merely shushed them with a grin before turning to Axel with a serious look on his face. "Well, you see Axel, there's a quite reasonable explanation for why I refer to him as Kiwi and not Klutz."

Riku grabbed Roxas' empty Subway wrapper and held it behind my head. "Pen." He ordered to Kairi, and she obliged quickly with a snicker. I rolled my eyes up above me so I could try and see what Riku was doing. What was going on? And why were they all laughing at me?!

There was a quiet moment in which all I could hear was Kairi and Roxas' muffled giggles, Axel's curious sounds, and the sound of ruffling.

"There!" Riku finished, making sure to peck my forehead with a kiss as he leaned away from me. I blushed and immediately looked towards the floor. Calm down, calm down…deep breaths…

I was distracted by the wrapper Riku held up high above his head. It was an outline of my hair, only he had colored it in sloppily with the black pin. And to finish it off, he had drawn a sloppy circle around the whole thing, making the outline of my hair look distinctly like…

I smiled sheepishly. A kiwi.

A slow smirk grew on Axel's face as Roxas burst out laughing again, and I couldn't help but let out a couple of embarrassed chuckles with him. Maybe it _was _kind of funny.

The door opened again, and slowly Namine entered the doorway. She had her blonde hair all pulled on one side of her shoulder and was wearing a white baby-doll shirt with a pair of jeans. She must have changed after school before she came over here. I glanced over at Roxas. Uh oh…I had a bad feeling about this.

"Um…hi guys." She murmured, smiling a little. We all watched as she reached in her backpack and unveiled a bouquet of daises. "Axel…I brought you some flowers."

Axel's face softened as he took the daises from her. "Thanks, Nami. But I thought that the boyfriend is supposed to get the girlfriend flowers, not the other way around."

I bit my lip. They were boyfriend and girlfriend? When the heck did that happen? I chanced a quick look at Roxas. He was scowling down at his apple chips, looking a little like he wanted to throw up. I sent a panicked look to Riku, who returned it in an equally horrified expression. We had to do something!

"Hey Roxas, how about the three of us sneak out and go to the beach?" Riku offered quickly. Roxas stared at him like he'd just grown three heads, and I had to agree. What the heck was he talking about; we couldn't sneak out of a hospital! What if something was generally wrong with us! And what about Kairi; we couldn't possibly leave her!

"_You_ want to sneak out?" He asked in disbelief, Riku's craziness having effectively distracted him from Axel and Namine's cute couple-y bantering. Kairi scrunched up her face and frowned at me. But what could _I _do?!

"Uh, Riku, that's a nice thought, but…we can't sneak out of a hospital." I insisted, shaking my head decisively. "We just…can't."

"I think we can." Riku disagreed, giving me a grin and a quick kiss on the cheek. "And we are."

As I blushed furiously, Riku reached under the bed and fished out three long black cloaks- where did he even _get_ those?-, tossing me and Rox the smallest sizes.

"Put these on. Okay guys, here's the plan. We're going to leave the room, and we'll need you, Kai, to lock the door after us. Then no one gets in and everyone will think we're just rebelling and being stupid, silly teenage boys." Riku explained

Roxas jumped up in excitement. "Alright! Let's do it!"

At least one other person was crazy enough to want to do this.

Kairi stood up too; only instead of looking as excited as Roxas did she looked very, very pissed off. I cowered slightly in fear. Uh oh…an angry Kairi was terrifying.

"Do not think for a minute, that I'm going to let you to not include me again. We're supposed to be _friends_, Riku." She complained angrily. I quickly went over to her and slid an arm around her waist. I didn't like to see Kairi upset. It was like seeing your mother cry or something.

I glared at Riku, and he just looked at her for a long moment before folding his arms and leaning against the wall. He peered down at her through his bangs. Oh man, that was one sexy look…

"How long have you felt like this?" He demanded softly. Kairi faltered, and I felt her pulling me closer to her, almost as if I were her protective shield.

"Ever since you started…" She began before freezing up and turning away. "Never mind. Look, I'll just stay behind and lock the door like you said."

Riku narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but Roxas was already too hyped up to notice much of anything remotely emotional. "Let's bounce, guys!" He exclaimed, grabbing Riku's arm and practically yanking him out of the room.

That, or he was still trying not to notice how Axel and Namine seemed to be in their own little world of daises.

I sighed. "Kai, what's wrong?"

Kairi stared down at her hands. "You wouldn't understand." She murmured so quietly, that I almost didn't hear her. But I did. And I know it made no sense, but I felt kind of hurt by her comment. Hadn't we been through a lot of drama together? I would think I am the only one who understands her at all! Roxas would probably just think it's that time of the month for her; Riku would probably worry about it for a while before shrugging it off and making a "mission" to get back on her good side, but me…

I_ love_ Kairi. I want to be there for her like she was there for me when Riku broke my heart. I _can_ understand, and I wish she would get that.

I looked at her with a sudden determination. "Kairi," She slowly stared up at me. "You don't have to tell me what's up with you and Riku now. But don't tell me I won't understand. You know better than I do that I definitely would. We're connected, Kai. Remember our promise?"

I held out my fist in front of her. She sighed, defeated, before giving me a small smile. She pumped mine with her own fist before we both made explosion noises as we wriggled our fingers away.

"God, Sora, are you sure you're not straight? You and Kairi seem to have a strong connection there with your explosions." Axel quipped dryly, and Namine chidingly smacked him on his shoulder. He playfully gave her a pout.

"Hey! I'm injured!"

"Yeah right."

Kairi and I both turned away from them. It still felt almost…wrong, to see those two together like that. It was just hard for me to swallow Axel with anyone else but Roxas.

Oh, speaking of Roxas…

"I'd better get out of here." I said with a small little grin, hopefully managing to have comforted her. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and smiled up at me. But I wasn't fooled. There was still something going on with her and Riku, and I was going to figure it out.

"Okay. I'll see you later, Sora."

_**The hospital hallway**_

I left our room, quietly closing the door behind me, with a nervous giggle. I wasn't really used to this kind of stuff; getting in trouble, I mean. That was Roxas' and Axel's forte. Me? I've been good little Sora my whole life. So this adrenaline rush…the high…was definitely unfamiliar for me.

That could also explain why I screamed like a banshee when Riku placed a hand on my shoulder from behind me.

"Hush, Kiwi. We're trying to sneak out, remember? Not alert them to our position!" Riku whispered into my ear, and I shivered. He was much too close. His scent was all that I could smell, and his body heat was all that I could feel. Oh...I missed the feel of his body against mine…

What? No! No I didn't! I shoved myself away from him. That's not what I wanted. Really. I gave him a reassuring smile at his questioning look. There was no problem here. Time to keep moving…

"Guys…I don't think we're in a regular hospital here." Roxas suddenly pointed out to us slowly and we both looked over at him. He was on his toes, looking through the window of the room right across from ours. Riku immediately went to investigate, but I cautiously narrowed my eyes at the window. Who knew what was in there? Roxas was not one to scare easily, so there could be a dead body in there for all we knew. But me…horrifying things seemed to affect me more deeply. So if there was a body in there, it would take me at least a month to rid the image of my mind.

"Kiwi, you have to see this." Riku murmured in wonder. Okay, now he had me. I just had to go see what was in there. I walked over to them and wriggled my way in between them. Once I was comfortable, I peered inside.

There were about four or five doctors inside, all of them holding down a giant creature very similar to the one that the cloaked stranger and I took down at Kairi's house. They were shouting loudly at each other, probably telling someone to go get reinforcements or something. And then, the creature, with its startling yellow eyes and mist of darkness streaming from its entire being, looked up at us. At me.

It gazed so intensely into my eyes, that I felt almost immobile. I felt like I was seeing into darkness itself. And what I saw…wasn't pretty. The creature finally let out an ear piercing roar, releasing me from its sight but giving away our position. All of the doctors looked up at us, and…

"Kiwi, come on! Run!" Riku shouted, breaking me out of my trance and yanking me painfully down the hallway. I could hear heavy footsteps running after us, and suddenly my adrenaline rush of danger was back.

"Crap, you guys, I knew we shouldn't have tried to sneak out of a freaking hospital! What is Tifa going to think?" I shouted, but I couldn't wipe off the smile from my face. This was kind of exciting. Besides, I may be cautious, but I was no wimp. I was probably braver than the two running boys in front of me, even though I didn't show it all the time.

Roxas laughed wildly in front of us, and I knew that Riku had made a good suggestion when he planned for us to sneak out. Ever since Axel had converted him to the dark side, trouble was the one thing that Rox was allowed to lose himself in without a care in the world.

"Okay, there are the doors! Just keep running!"

_**Papou Island**_

"We're going to get in so much trouble for this." I mused as we all lay next to each other in the sand with our hands behind our heads. But I didn't really care. Surprisingly, I wasn't worried at all…I really did need to spend more time here. Besides that, compared to a quiet old boring hospital- minus the scene we had just witnessed- this was the life!

"Hopefully." Roxas sighed happily, and both Riku and I sat up to stare at him. I shook my head. Jeez, Roxas was becoming more and more like Axel every day!

"So, changing the subject, whad'dya suppose that thing in the hospital was?" I wondered aloud, leaning back down and staring up at the sky. Riku made a noise in the back of his throat and raised an eyebrow down at me.

"Why? Did it scare you?" He teased, and I rolled my eyes at him.

"You wish. I was just curious. And as if you weren't just a tad bit apprehensive…"

Riku sighed loudly and both Roxas and I peered over at him in bemusement. "Look," He began, his eyes raising to meet the same sky I was looking at just a few minutes ago, "I've seen some crazy shit in Bastian Bay. Stuff like that doesn't faze me anymore."

At the exact same time, without rehearsing, Roxas and I both scoffed, and at the same time chimed, "Because Bastian Bay is just _so_ great" in annoyance.

Riku sat up, but Roxas and I remained reclining. I glanced at the blonde, and he glanced back at me, and I instantly knew that we had an understanding. Neither of us really knew how to interact with Riku when he was talking about Bastian Bay, because those were hard times for all of us. It was just extremely uncomfortable.

_**How do you just discard three years of bad memories?**_

"Okay, I have an idea." Riku suddenly suggested, and now we all sat up, so we were eyelevel. "Let's play Truth."

"Truth? Like, as in, dare?" Roxas asked skeptically, and Riku gave him a playful smack on the back of the head.

"No, Roxas, not as in dare. Truth is a game where you take turns asking questions." He explained, and I nodded slowly. That probably would be a good game for us to play. The reason why everything is so awkward is because we don't really know each other anymore.

"Okay, I'll go first. Riku, where did you go at the party? After the attacks? I looked up, and you had disappeared." I wanted to know. I mean, it was just a little strange that he just ran off like that- that's not Riku's usual style and demeanor.

Riku bit his lip and looked away from me. "I…I, uh…got scared."

Roxas scoffed. "Bullshit."

Riku narrowed his eyes and growled at him. I gazed back and forth from the both of them. What was the big deal? Why couldn't Riku have been scared? Why was Roxas calling him out on this? Jeez, what did I _miss_?

"Oh, c'mon Riku, don't give me that look. You know full well that's a lie." Roxas exclaimed, a little smile making its way onto his face. "Liars never prosper, you know."

I smiled too. I couldn't help it; Roxas' rare smiles were infectious. "He's right you know."

Riku rolled his eyes and shot us sarcastic looks. "Yeah, yeah, I'm definitely going to hell for it, I know. Anyway, Roxas, you're breaking the rules. You're not allowed to question the honesty of the answer."

"Whatever. It's your turn." Roxas snorted. I hummed to myself and stretched my arms behind my head. This was kind of nice. Sometimes it's nice to just _be_, you know? I kept wondering why Roxas was so grumpy today, though. It was probably because of Axel, but still. Maybe there was something else on his mind.

"Okay. Roxas, what did you and Axel talk about in the basement?" Riku demanded, and I dropped my arms quickly to stare at Rox eagerly. That's what I wanted to know!

Roxas huffed indignantly. "For the life of me, I can't figure out why you two would possibly _care_."

I don't know what the heck he was talking about. Why _wouldn't_ we care? We're his best friends; we're supposed to know everything! See, I think it's this kind of attitude that ruined the three of us in the first place. We all kept things from each other. Well, from now on, that was going to have to change.

"Well, you going to answer?" I finally asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Rox shifted uncomfortably, and I could already tell that whatever was said, it was extremely embarrassing to him. Eh, too bad, he was going to have to get over that.

"You mean I have a choice? Alright then, I pass." Roxas declared. Riku sighed and poked him on the forehead with his index finger.

"You're such a rule breaker. That, my friend, is once again, illegal in the game of Truth." He pointed out, and I finally just cocked my head at him in disbelief.

"You know what I think Riku? I think there's no way you'd remember every single rule of a game that sounds like it belongs in a girl's sleepover party. I suspect you're making stuff up." I proclaimed, giving him a playfully suspicious look. Roxas laughed.

"Brilliant deduction, Watson."

I stuck my tongue out at him. Meanie.

But at least that hadn't changed.

_**Outside of the hospital**_

"We can't go in soaking wet guys." I pointed out reasonably, shaking out my hair like a dog. Riku in turn leaned over and squeezed the water from his long hair. He looked like a god, standing like that with his hair tumbling down his strong, muscled arms.

I think I wanted to cry.

Roxas ran a hand through his now completely flat hair and lifted his hood up over his face. He shrugged at me. "Sure we can. And anyway, stop acting so responsible, you know full well it was worth it."

I had to agree. It was completely worth it. After learning more than I needed to know about Roxas and Riku (Roxas was still a virgin, Riku dyed his hair black last year- even his pubic hair, Rox took nude pictures of himself with sushi all over his naked body, and those were the tamest facts), we all decided to go on a reunion surfing trip.

Yeah, didn't think that one through.

"Alright, Kiwi, you do raise a good point." Riku sighed logically. I smiled. See, Riku appreciated my thoughtfulness. Someone had to be the reasonable one around here, and it seems as if he's ready to fill those shoes!

"So we're going to sneak back in dressed as nurses!" Riku finished. If this were an anime, and not my real life, I would've sweat dropped. Ah well. It's not like I wasn't used to this. This kind of thing- Riku coming up with some crazy plan- happened more often than not.

Suddenly, a long sharp sword entered my peripheral vision, and I swirled around quickly (but obviously not quick enough) to see Riku's face only mere inches away from its edge. Busted.

And I didn't even have to look up to know who it was.

Which, if you think about it, is kind of disturbing.

"You shall do no such thing." Sephiroth, terror in its purest form, ordered coldly, causing all three of us to shiver. "You are still patients in this hospital until you are released, and until that time, you will not indulge in any extraneous activities while I am around."

I couldn't stifle a giggle. It was a little too late for that, we'd already snuck out and been surfing for the past hour.

Sephiroth turned his gaze to me, and my laugh died in my throat. I looked away nervously and tried to maintain my breathing. Calm down, Sora, he wasn't _that_ scary.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a nearby plant wither and die. Yes he was!

"Dad, it's not that big of a deal." Riku frowned, crossing his arms over his chest and hiding his eyes behind his long bangs. "You haven't even been here."

Sephiroth glared at him, and both Roxas and I exchanged awkward looks. This felt like a family spat…and unless Riku told us about it, it was none of our business.

"Okay, well we'll let you two sort this out while-" I began, both Roxas and I taking steps toward the hospital doors, only to be yanked back by our hoods by the tip of Sephiroth's sword. He didn't even bother to glance at us; he merely held us up so our short legs were off the ground. He was just going to let us dangle in thin air?!

"And just whose fault was it that I wasn't here, Riku? It wasn't I that chose to runaway with Cloud like thieves in the night." Sephiroth retorted, also looking away from Riku. Both were silent for a second, each too busy in their thoughts to notice that Roxas had slid himself out from under the sword. I gestured wildly at him to you know, maybe save me, but all he did was stand there and mouth, "how?!"

What did he mean, "how?" I think it was called pulling me out from under Sephiroth's sword!

"Riku! There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you!" Cloud suddenly shouted, his voice muffled by the glass of the hospital doors. He waited patiently for the doors to slide open automatically before finally just shoving them open himself, striding over to us like a man on a mission.

"Where the hell have you-!" He paused, having just noticed just who it was Riku was talking to (or not talking to, depending on how you looked at it). His eyes widened, his checks reddened, and his fists clenched besides his legs. He looked away.

"S-Sephiroth. What are…what are you doing here?" Cloud stammered. Roxas and I exchanged looks and rolled our eyes. Jeez, he'd been here for like, three days. But I guess every time they've been in the same proximity, Cloud was sleeping, out of the room, or just too lost in his own thoughts.

That happened a lot with Cloud.

"I came to see Riku…and…you…to see how the two of you were doing, when the heartless attacked." Sephiroth answered with little to no emotion, sliding his glare to Cloud with practiced ease. "But I see you were just fine with Leon here to protect you."

Cloud blushed even deeper, and suddenly I got a very strong feeling that we should leave. I nudged Roxas and he nudged me back. And both of us slowly took a couple of steps away. Well, at least we were, until Riku looked up at us, me in particular, with a look of sadness and panic.

I stopped. I couldn't leave Riku. He needed us.

"That's none of your business, and you know it. Besides, it's not like I asked you to come back here to check up on us like we're babies. Stop treating me like I'm your little kid, and start treating me as, you know, your _husband_." Cloud snapped, his eyes suddenly flashing.

Sephiroth didn't even bat an eyelash. "I treat you like a little kid, because you insist on acting like one." He responded indifferently. Cloud fumed at the lack of concern in his voice. I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. It was weird seeing Cloud and Sephiroth go at it like they were still teenagers. I guess I forgot that they were people.

I know, I know, definitely a kid thing, but it was something I hadn't grown out of!

"Well you know what, Seph, I'm not a kid anymore- a fact known and appreciated by _Leon_, who seems to _like_ the _manly_ aspects of me…my body included!" Cloud shouted, and both Riku and Sephiroth looked surprised…until their expressions morphed into different reactions. Riku looked away, hurt, hiding his eyes once more in his bangs, while Sephiroth just looked extremely pissed off.

"Cloud…" Riku murmured, as if he was wounded, and Cloud turned to him with a sudden look of anxious regret. Oh Cloud, why did you say that?! He reached out to touch him…

…when Sephiroth grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him so they were only mere inches from each other.

"You let someone else touch you, Cloud?" He demanded roughly, pulling him closer to him.

"Don't touch me!" Cloud barked loudly, shoving away from his husband.

Riku eyed them nervously, and that's when I knew I needed to step in.

See, here's the thing about Sephiroth and Cloud. They've grown up together their whole lives, and even though the majority of their past they were friends, they had always had an emotional pull to each other. That's why things that would normally scar a regular relationship, like Sephiroth physically hurting Cloud (and not in an abusive sense, because I know for a fact that Seph has never actually hit him), doesn't even phase those two.

But Riku however, is a little different. He grew up with me, Kai and Roxas, who, with the exception of Roxas, had loving families with man and woman. Riku has always grown up wondering why he didn't have a mother, and therefore, he's grown up without a real big sense on love. All he sees is the kind of treatment Seph gives Cloud.

I mean, obviously Cloud shows him infinite affection. But there are a lot of things that even Cloud is uncomfortable sharing. The guy is pretty quiet; he can only reveal _so_ much without shutting that emotional door again.

In Riku's defense, that's probably one of the reasons why we didn't work out.

Anyway, the point is that I know what bothers him- well, what used to bother him. And seeing Sephiroth and Cloud argue has always been one of them.

"Riku, let's get back to our rooms, man." I interrupted loudly, not only grabbing Riku's attention, but making Cloud and Seph aware that we were still freaking here!

"Let me escort you three." Sephiroth said flatly, his tone losing that emotion now that he wasn't directing to Cloud anymore. I sighed. No wonder Riku wanted to come back so badly. If this is what he had to go through every day, his life sucked!

_**The hospital room**_

When we got back inside of our rooms, we walked in to find Namine gone, and Kairi and Axel propped up side by side, watching Titanic on TNT.

TNT: because they know drama!

Pssh, try living in Destiny Island. Here's a place that knows drama.

"You know, there are a bunch of other objects floating around. Rose could've used her arm as an oar and propelled them over to that barrel."Kairi pointed out, drawing a triangle on Axel's extremely long leg.

He tilted his head at her. "Honestly, I don't think Rose would be up for that. She was just _too_ _fucking cold_ to help Jack get something to sit on."

Well, sounded like they were having a lot of fun while we were gone. I stood by the door, watching as Riku plopped down next to Kairi, sighing and resting his head against her shoulder. And of course, the first thing she does is look up at me like _I_ did something.

I shook my head at her and mouthed, "Sephiroth."

She just nodded understandably and ran a hand through his hair, even though she was angry at him just a mere two hours ago. But that's how friendship works sometimes. You have to be willing to forgive at the right moments to preserve a relationship.

I guess I had forgotten that. Suddenly my feet were extremely interesting.

Axel looked up and saw Roxas with his hood up, looking like a drowned cat who had just witnessed his best kitty friend get eaten by a dog.

"Jeez, you three, what's with the gloomy expressions?! Just a couple of hours ago we were making dirty words on a Scrabble board! Get over here Rocky! You too Sora!"

Roxas snuggled in next to Axel and I snuggled in next to him, and we all sat and critiqued the end of Titanic together. Still…it didn't feel right. It felt kind of…gloomy. Which, hey, was probably completely our faults.

But hey…gloomy or not…it felt real.

And right now, that's all we needed.

_**How do you go back?**_

I had just closed my eyes to fall into a calm, peaceful sleep like the rest of my friends, when the door burst open. My eyes shot open as the familiar sounds of boots entered my ears. Uh oh, I had a feeling I knew who that was.

I sat up, noting that everyone else was still asleep. Then I glanced at the door. Oh god.

Sephiroth, Cloud, Leon, Reno, Aerith, Zack, Nurse Tifa, Rude, my mom and dad, Roxas' mom and dad, Mrs. Tomura, Rikku, Yuna, and Paine, and finally Axel's dad all stood in the doorway, glaring down at our peaceful figures. I gulped and hastily shook Roxas awake. If I was going down, he was going down with me.

"Uh, hey guys! May we, uh, may we help you?" I asked innocently, Roxas and me both widening our blue eyes up at them, fishing for pity. Nurse Tifa looked as if she were about to melt. Good, that means we had at least one of them hooked.

"Awww!" She cooed, making as if she were about to run and hug us, but Cloud, who remained as stern as possible, grabbed her hand at the last second, murmuring, "Stay strong. They do that every time they get in trouble."

Dang it! Tifa blinked in confusion for a second, probably wondering what just happened. I sighed. Man, she was the only one who wasn't used to that. She would've been our only hope. But now, thanks to Cloud…

"Did you really think we weren't going to notice that you boys had snuck out? Honestly. We're your parents. We know you better than anyone. And we had a feeling that if we gave you even the slightest amount of freedom, you'd take advantage of it." Mom snapped angrily, and my dad put his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them comfortingly.

"Now, now, Felicia, they're teenage boys. It isn't as if we didn't always do the same thing when we were their age." He reasoned, giving me a wink from behind her. I grinned at him. Good old dad, always looking out from me. Unfortunately, mom caught my grin, and I quickly tucked it back in, replacing it with remorse and sadness once more.

"Oh, great Sunny, that really fixed things." Roxas' father, a stern military lieutenant colonial, sneered, looking pretty pissed off. Roxas glared at him and gave me an anxious look. Great, his dad was here. Roxas' parents had gotten a divorce about two years ago, and ever since then Roxas' dad, who normally wasn't even that affectionate in the first place, hadn't been the same ever since. He was terrible to Rox; he never paid any attention to him, he was always putting work before him, and not only that, but he constantly made Roxas feel guilty about the divorce, as if it were his fault!

It made me mad to think that the one person who hurt Roxas the most is the one person I can't protect him from. I frowned. It really made me hate his dad.

"Hey, he was just trying to show another perspective on it!" Cloud retorted, his best friend protectiveness starting to kick in. Like me and Riku, Cloud couldn't stand when someone was mean to his friends. "Maybe if _you_ did that for Roxas once in a while, no one would hate you so much."

Aerith stepped forward slightly and placed a hand on his clenched fists. "Cloud, he was probably just worried about Roxas, just like the rest of us." She said softly.

"Or he was just trying to make the rest of us feel like asses and bad parents for not fucking screaming at them for breaking his beloved _rules_." Reno offered up like the no-helping drama starter that he was.

"Oh, as if you have a better plan to how you want to handle this?!" Mrs. Tomura, Kairi's mom, screeched, and suddenly all of the adults were bickering like a group of little kids.

By this time, if everyone else was asleep, they were awake now, all staring at their parents like they were finally seeing this as just a pair of older teenagers. As they continued to argue loudly, the rest of us "children" were silent, turning to each other and just widening our eyes. Finally, Riku broke the silence.

"I think I liked it better when they were screaming at us." He commented lightly, running his hand through the tangles in his now damp hair. I tried not to drool at how graceful he looked doing it.

"I know. They're fucking worse than us!" Axel marveled as well, actually looking kind of disturbed. Kairi seconded the motion with a slow nod, grimacing at the high pitched screeches her mother was emitting. I…don't know how I felt about this. I mean, I know that my parents' lives weren't all about me, but it was weird to get a glimpse of them in their own primes. It was just weird.

Besides that, I had a lot of questions for them. What was that creature in the other room? What kind of hospital were we _in_? Who was that weird guy in the cloak that had helped me fight that shadow two days ago?

Those were just three of the hundreds of questions floating in my mind. And maybe if mom and dad and Cloud would stop yelling at each other, they could sit down and answer them one by one.

"Do you want to sneak out again?" Roxas asked with a grin, and we all started cracking up. What? It was _funny_!

But I think Roxas had finally said the magic words. _Sneak out_ seemed to register in our parents' brains, and they all stopped talking abruptly to turn and glare at Roxas in unison. Rox froze and cowered slightly behind me.

"It was a joke. You know, ha ha, that was funny, good one…and whatnot?" He explained with a nervous chuckle.

"You boys-" Mrs. Tomura began in a threatening tone, but Kairi stood up and walked up in front of us, almost as if she were protecting us from harm's way. I melted inside. That was so sweet.

"Mom, you all are always trying to protect us, which is…well, understandable. It's terrific, actually, because you all do it so well, we're always safe. But mom, Cloud…everyone…we're not kids anymore. We have developed brains; we can think for ourselves now. Better yet, we now have the ability to comprehend." She explained softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

As my eyes watched for their reactions, they landed on Yuna, Rikku, and Paine; I had forgotten they were even there! But what had really startled me was the way Yuna was staring at Kairi as if she were the most magnificent creature on the earth. Which, you know, wasn't good, considering Tidus _loved_ Yuna, and they were an item.

And now, I think maybe it was my turn to say something.

"Kairi's right. We can understand things now. We _want_ to understand things now. That's why we always have a million questions floating in our heads, and that's why Google is one of the most visited websites in the world. But guys…there are some things that only our parents can answer. So please…just answer our calls." I pleaded, giving them all my most sincere expression.

Sephiroth, surprisingly, was the first out of the adults in the room, to speak. "Sora, for once in your existence, you stand correct. What is it that you wish to know?"

Riku nearly gagged on the invisible piece of nothing in his throat, which had been happening to us a lot lately. We both stared at each other in shock. In all of our lives, Sephiroth had never made a claim that Riku or I were ever right. But now, he was doing it so easily, as if he'd been admitting our correctness for years.

Could this change have been stirred from Cloud?

I stole a glance at him. He was staring at Sephiroth with an odd look on his face, like he was somehow wondering the exact same thing. Leon, however, looked as if he were about ready to punch in a wall.

"Okay, guys, let's just tell them now." Zack reasoned, walking up to Kairi and I and sitting us gently back down onto the bed. He smirked. "They can understand. They _want_ to understand." He teased, mocking me.

I blushed as Riku burst out laughing. Jeez, good to know I had a best friend who would defend me against verbal attacks!

"Alright. We're supposed to wait until the last full moon of the year, but…their abilities are developing prematurely anyway. Let's let them know now." Aerith agreed, running a gentle hand down my face. She got on her knees so we were eyelevel.

"Sora," she began softly, "do you wish to know who you really are?"

My eyes widened in shock. What? What was she talking about? I knew who I was; I was Sora Kaci Hikaru.

But then…what was the strange key that kept appearing two days ago? And when did I learn to fight with it?

"What the hell are you all blabbering about? This is nonsense. I only visited this ridiculous place to be sure that Roxas was fit to receive the proper reprimand. It is bad enough that I had to take off work for _this_." Roxas' father scoffed, folding his arms. Roxas' mother, who had remained silent for this whole ordeal, winced and glanced at her son.

Roxas was staring quietly at his feet, an embarrassed flush growing on his face and ears. I don't think he was used to anyone else seeing how his father treated him. I frowned. Still, it wasn't something to be embarrassed about. If anything, he should be pissed off, just like I was!

"Oh, I forgot about you." Sunny muttered darkly to himself, before looking up kindly at Mr. and Mrs. Haiku. "How about you two return to what you were doing? We all pretty much have this covered. You too, Mrs. Tomura. I know how much it costs to have to drive all the way up here."

The three parents didn't have to be told twice. Although, to Mrs. Tomura's credit, she did look at Kairi in hesitation as the other two filed out.

"Kairi, sweetheart? Are you sure you're okay?" She verified, pausing with her hand on the door. Kairi nodded with a reassuring smile.

"I'm okay, mom."

Mrs. Tomura debated it with herself for one last lingering moment, before finally nodding and leaving as suggested. Yuna, Rikku and Paine, all looked at each other before looking back at the adults in the room, who were staring pointedly at them.

"You can hint all you want, but we're not leaving. Those five over there weren't the only ones who sprouted weird science-fiction-y powers. Besides, Axel's my brother. And he'd just tell me anyway." Rikku reasoned in her cheerful, bubbly voice.

Axel made a face at her. "No I wouldn't, you annoying waste of flesh."

Rikku simply smiled. "You would if you knew that I have your lighter."

"I have tons of lighters, get the picture?"" Axel sneered, rolling his eyes at her as if she were the most stupid being in the entire world. Rikku grinned wider.

"Yep, you have tons of lighters. But you only have one from Roxas." She sang, dodging the sudden jerk from Axel, who had stood up and was now glaring at her. The only thing that was holding him back from pummeling her was his father, who was rolling his eyes at his children with a sigh.

Come to think of it, this was the first time I'd ever met Axel's dad. He was bald, but muscled; kind of like Rude, only he was slightly shorter. He wore strange goggles over his eyes, and had an outfit that consisted of tight spandex and more spandex, with long black boots. His eyes were covered, so obviously I couldn't see them, but I'm guessing that they were green.

"Shut up, you two. This isn't even about either of you." He drawled, grabbing Rikku's arm and pulling her away from Axel. "Sit down."

"Actually, this does kind of involve them." Reno corrected, leaning back on his heels and flashing him a smile. But when he saw the annoyed look on Cid's face, he replaced it with a smirk. "I see someone got on the wrong side of the airship today."

"Can we get back to the explanations, please?" Cloud cut in, walking over to sit next to Riku, but leaning over so he could see my face. "Now Sora…what do you want to know?"

Aerith and Cloud were staring at me earnestly, and I snuck a glance at Riku. He was watching me too, although for some reason, it was with wariness, like he wasn't sure about what I was going to ask.

But in my heart, I knew just what was really bothering me. And I wasn't going to leave this room without a straight, honest to Zeus answer.

"Okay. Cloud, Aerith…who was that guy that helped me fight the shadow?" Then I turned to Riku with a serious look on my face. He was going to answer this whether he wanted to or not. "And Riku…_where_ _were_ _you_?"

_**How to do you go back to the way things used to be? The answer is:**_

_**You can't.**_

* * *

**Two words. Sephiroth's. Back. Oh shizz! Looks like our Leon is going to have some stiff competition. Especially since technically Seph and Cloud are still married!**

**Not much to say about this chapter. Most of the plot line is continued in Riku's chapter next time, while this chapter is more on character insight, and character development. Especially Sora/Roxas/Riku development. I would mostly say this focuses on how the relationships are doing. Next chapter is hardcore plot.**


	14. The Monster Man

**Holy shizz, 100 reviews! Yay! I'm glad this story is so well received! And yet...so poorly updated. But here's the bright side, guys! Summer summer summer time! That means, if I really work at it, I might be able to actually finish this by the end of summer! Well, let's not aim that high. Let's say, I might be able to make a lot of chapters. :) Sounds better.**

**Reviewers:**

**Jayrin Paige- **Lol, yes, it does leave an imprint, doesn't it? Thank you for reviewing!

**hanakitsunechan7-** You're very warm...there will be a fight and there will be swords involved...Ha, thanks for your comment.

**Inuzukagirl77-** Omg, thank you for understanding! I always feel terrible for taking so long to update...(yeah, I know, I sing it like that now too! lol)

**ScreamforSOH- **Lol, thanks. I sure hope this is developing well.

**Naruta13**- Don't worry, you don't sound mean. I would be more worried if no one noticed! But yeah, read on, and for a bigger explanation read the AN at the bottom! Gracias!

**emorocks91- **Will do! Thanks for reviewing!

**CryingTearsofBlood**- Lol, the updates may not come on time, but they will eventually come! Thanks for reviewing!

**iShiznitch**- Trust me, the transition left my dizzy too. And I was writing it. But things will calm down. Hopefully. Lol.

**Sparkly Red Slippers- **Thank you! I'm working very hard to make it a good fic!

**flames04**- Yes, I LOVE suspense. Thank you for reviewing!

**

* * *

****Part One**

**Enter Riku:**

Oh god…oh god…this couldn't be happening to me.

"_Riku…where were you?"_

What did I do to deserve this?! Sure, I've cheated, I've lied, I've stolen, and I've committed adultery…

Well damn, maybe I _did_ deserve this.

Cloud and I exchanged panicked glances, and even Sephiroth was staring wearily at me, as if wondering just what the hell I was going to do to get myself out of this situation. Pssh, as if I knew!

"Now Sora, I'm sure you're wondering about more important things than Riku, right?" Cloud laughed nervously, and I joined in, hoping maybe that would toss Kiwi off topic. It didn't work.

Why was I not surprised….

"No. I want Riku to answer this first." He snapped at Cloud- well, not really snapped because Kiwi isn't like that, but definitely with some determination behind his words. Then he turned his eyes to me. They were narrowed in confusion and suspicion, and although still completely gorgeous, I didn't like them looking at me like that. Like I was some kind of monster.

Which, truthfully…

"Okay." I finally hedged, and Cloud gasped. I know, I know, I was about to completely screw myself over; there was no need for Cloud to convey that to me in his facial expression. And I know it wasn't what I was supposed to do…but…damn it, it was hard keeping this from Kiwi for three years!

Hopefully he would just listen and…and maybe he would accept this. Maybe this wouldn't change anything.

Pssh…get real; even _I_ didn't believe that.

Kiwi was staring at me, wide eyed and so confused, and I couldn't stop myself from spilling everything I had been trying to keep a secret. "You wanted to know why when you woke up three years ago, I had vanished. I sent you that text from my grandmother, remember?"

He began to tremble slightly, but his determined expression didn't waver. "Of course I remember, Riku. Why'd you leave?"

I bit my thumbnail. "Well…"

_**Three years ago**_

"_I didn't think I would find you here." I called out to Kiwi, seeing him leaning quietly against the nearby Papou tree. He glanced over at me and smiled before closing his eyes again. I nearly died, I was that mesmerized. I know he was my best friend, and I wasn't supposed to think of him like this, but in that moment the only thing on my mind was how beautiful he looked right now._

"_I needed to think." He finally answered, his smile fading slightly. "Riku, I don't think I can keep doing this."_

_I wanted to hug him close to me and whisper that it was okay. I wanted to kiss away all of his insecurities and tell him how gorgeous he was. I wanted to touch him and make him forget about every vile thought that went through his insecure, hesitant mind._

_Instead I stayed right where I was, which was far, far away from where he was leaning._

"_You mean…us?" I dared to ask, kicking a nearby rock to take out my fear and frustration. I mean, yes, I was sick and tired of being romantically involved with Kiwi behind Roxas' back, too, but…it wasn't enough to make me stop. Because being with Sora was like being at home…we just fit, like puzzle pieces._

_He must have mistaken my pebble kick for depression, because the next thing I knew he was a couple of inches in front of me. He ran a hand down my chest to comfort me…it didn't comfort me, but I was pretty sure he could feel how hard my heart was beating._

"_You don't want to be together with me…like this…forever, do you?" Kiwi asked me pointedly, shoving me away with the same hand. "Besides, it's not fair to me that you don't want me enough to leave Roxas."_

_I grabbed his wrist as he turned away. Was he crazy? Of course I wanted him! I just…didn't want to hurt Roxas. And I know that it was selfish and greedy and rude of me to dangle both of them like this, but…I couldn't help but want to be with Kiwi._

"_Kiwi, I love you." I admitted quietly, and the whole world stopped spinning. No longer could I hear the quiet lapses of the waves, or the animals, or the laughter from down the beach. All I could hear was my heart, and his- both beating faster to the same beat._

_His eyes widened and he looked away from me quickly. "You're lying."_

_I gently took his face in my hand and forced him to look at me. "I'm not."_

_As his chest began to heave faster, I found myself glad that his hyperventilation had just been cured. Because this next part was sure to take his breath away._

"Oh god, was that as cheesy as I think it sounds?" I groaned, pausing in the story to grimace in embarrassment. I mean sure, that's what I was thinking at the time, but now that I think about it, it sounds so…lame.

"It's extremely cheesy." Roxas agreed, giving me a shrug. "But it's no surprise. You're always cheesy, to be honest Riku."

Well this was news to me! I glared at him. He didn't have to agree. What happened to the good old days when friends didn't tease friends? Instead they hugged and gave kisses to greet each other?!

"I think you're thinking of High School Musical, Riku." Kairi answered flatly, and I realized I had said that part aloud. Oh. Oops.

"Hey, hello! Back to the story!" Kiwi interrupted, but I noticed he had a slight blush and a small smile of pleasure on his face. Uh huh, see, he didn't think it was cheesy.

I cleared my throat dramatically and both Cloud and Sephiroth rolled their eyes. But I ignored them. Sourpusses. "Anyway…"

_Heat. _

_That's what I was experiencing as I felt Kiwi's body press tightly against mine. His heat, my heat, the heat inside of him. It was all so hot, metaphorically and literally, and I had never felt anything like this before. _

_Before tonight, I had never thought Kiwi could be any sexier, but I was wrong. I had never thought his voice could be wanton like this. I had never thought that something so controversial like sex could feel so right._

"You can stop here! We do _not_ need to know the details of your sexual escapade!" Rikku squealed, and I received stern nods for affirmation from everyone else in the room. I guess they're right; it would be incredibly awkward to get a hard on with my dad and Cloud, and _Sora's parents_ in the room.

I winced. "Sorry."

_As Sora panted hotly in my ear, causing shivers to go racing down my spine as I moved inside of him, I couldn't help but hear this strange drumming sound._

_Thinking it was just Kiwi or something, I kept going, following the rhythm and causing him to moan. But suddenly a voice, clear as day, replaced the weird drumming. And for some reason, it _appealed_ to me._

"_Riku." The voice said in a crystal voice. I blinked, and suddenly I couldn't see Kiwi under me. All I saw was darkness._

"_What…what's going on?" I asked out in fear. But Kiwi didn't seem to hear me, for all I could hear was his panting. "Who is that?"_

"_It's…Ansem." The voice replied, and suddenly the darkness enclosed me._

"And that's when it first happened." I finished, averting my eyes from everyone in the room who was staring at me. Well, there it was, all out in the open. Nothing to explain and nothing more to add.

"I don't get it." Axel finally drawled, breaking into the silence. Rikku sighed heavily and jabbed him in his ribs.

"If you don't have anything _new_ to add to the conversation, don't talk at all. We already knew you wouldn't understand." She sniffed. Then she glanced sheepishly at me. "I don't get it either."

Cloud sighed. "To put it simply, Riku has a monster living inside of him, and it started to come out when the two of them were having sex."

"But...why did the monster start to come out during them having sex?" Roxas asked, and this time I could actually answer that. Makes sense. It was my problem.

My...monster man. _Ugh_.

"Well, whenever I have a monumental moment or experience, He tries to come out and overtake me." I revealed sullenly. That damn monster...

"He tries to overtake you?! Even during sex?!" Axel demanded, sounding offended for me. I grinned. Trust Axel to see the severity of this problem.

"It's during any important experience. And well...apparently having underage sex for the first time was really important to him." Cloud answered with a shrug.

That statement seemed to be the magic words, because as soon as Cloud said that, everyone else seemed to breathe and come back to life.

"Sora, you've…you've lost your virginity? When you were thirteen? You have a lot of explaining to do, young man." Sora's dad, Sunny, began sharply, but Leon started to laugh. He swirled around. "What's so funny?"

Leon, with his stoic, elegant monotone, scoffed. "The irony; you have your nerve talking when you know full well that you lost _your_ virginity when you were twelve."

Reno burst out laughing. "Like father like son, huh?"

While our parents all started squawking, I glanced over at Kiwi. He was hiding his face in his hands, obviously embarrassed that our first time was all exposed for dissection and out in the open. Ugh, this _was_ pretty humiliating. Still…there was this nice feeling of…completion…now that everyone knew the monster I carried inside of me, the monster that I really was.

"How did this even happen to you?" Roxas asked, reaching out to touch me hesitantly before pulling his hand back at the last second.

"I've got a better question; Leon, how did you even know that about Sunny? I thought only _I_ would know that." Cloud demanded, watching him suspiciously. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Roxas throw up his hands in defeat. Ha…yeah, his question _was_ kind of ignored. I guess our parents' drama was bigger than mine.

"Why wouldn't I? We were together nearly every second you two weren't." Leon pointed out with a small little chuckle. That only seemed to make Cloud more incredulous. Yes, trouble in paradise!

I mean…oh no…trouble in paradise.

He whirled to Sunny, his spikes stabbing Cid in the eye and causing him to curse fairly loudly. "Sunny, you were cheating on me when we dated?"

Both Sora and I froze. Wait, what? What the hell was he talking about?

Wait a minute, this wasn't happening…

"Oh…ohmigod, please don't tell me you two used to go out." Sora groaned, peeking his blue eyes from between his tanned fingers. We both gazed evenly at our parents for confirmation.

Well, we got it. "Yeah, Cloud and I used to date in high school. I think for about…eh, two years? Up until, what, junior year?" Sunny explained dismissively.

"But that's beside the point." Cloud insisted, glaring at his best friend. "Did you?"

"Cheat on you? Of course not. You were my boyfriend, but you're always my best friend first. I wasn't going to hurt you. And to answer your question, the only reason Leon knows that about my losing my virginity is because he's my twin brother." Sunny announced as if it was nothing. Come on; try to at least _act_ like you care. This was a shocking moment! The whole freaking room was silent!

Okay, Riku, let's get this straight.

Cloud, my step father, was dating my best friend and potential boyfriend's father's twin brother? Who was the brother to his best friend? While his current husband was in the room?

And I thought I had problems.

If I was a man whore, Cloud was a freaking sprite.

"You knew and you didn't tell me this whole time?" Cloud gasped as he faced Leon, his face looking angry and hurt, and suddenly Leon's indifferent expression began to morph into panic. I rolled my eyes. This was so dramatic. Then again…maybe they'd break up!

"I didn't think it was of major importance." He replied, raising an eyebrow at him. "I didn't think it would bother you…"

"Of course it bothers me!" Cloud snapped, and Sephiroth snorted. We all looked at him. Talk about the wrong time…

He glared at everyone in response. "What? I'm permitted to laugh when I think a circumstance requires it."

"Well it doesn't, so shut it, please." Cloud mumbled, unable to actually seem angry at my dad. I think he was still shocked and secretly pleased that he was even here.

"I just find it amusing how little this twin actually knows of you." He responded indifferently, glancing over at Leon as if he was the lowest creature on earth. And I'll admit it, I actually felt kind of bad for him for a second. For a _second_, I said.

Finally, when all of this seemed to be getting ridiculous, because, _hello_, this was about me here, I figured it was time to say something.

"So anyway Kiwi, that's the reason I went with Cloud and Sephiroth. After I came to, I called Dad and he asked me if I wanted to go with them and train. I agreed. It was the only way." I explained, watching his face warily for his reaction.

He was staring at me, in a strange mixture of fear, understanding, and amusement. But worst of all, he was staring at me as if he didn't know who I was. And that really hurt.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" He asked me, genuinely looking like he wanted to know, and I looked away in embarrassment. Because it was a disgrace! I was an embarrassment to Cloud and Sephiroth…what kind of person harvests a monster inside of them?! Better yet, what kind of person harvests another _man_ inside of them?

"He was embarrassed and afraid." Roxas answered, reading my face and rolling his eyes at Kiwi. But he tossed me a reassuring smile when Sora wasn't looking. "No one hates you, you know. You can stop pretending like you're a victim."

I scoffed. Ha, who's pretending? But it was good to know that no one hated me. It kind of makes everything that's happened thus far seem silly. And pointless. "Thanks Roxas. You know just what to say to make me feel good inside."

"Anyway," Cid intervened loudly, causing all conversations to cease, "I think it's about time we answer those questions now that Sora's question has been answered."

Kiwi blushed at his own determination, and I gave him a grin. "Don't worry, it was a good introduction question, if you ask me."

"I have one." Axel spoke up, watching me carefully. "But what the hell do you mean when you say, _Riku_ is a monster? What does that thing inside him have to do with Riku? I mean, how did He get attached to Riku in the first place?"

I let out a breath. Oh…of course there would be questions about _Him_…I guess I had just assumed, with all the distractions, that someone was going to forget and let me off the hook. Guess I assumed wrong, huh?

"He was cursed." Sephiroth answered simply, speaking up once more and causing everyone to look at him again. Now he was starting to look pissed off. "_What_?"

"Cursed?!" Kairi repeated, grabbing my hand instinctively. "I thought those were just in fairy tales."

"No, they happen. Especially if you're Sephiroth's son, since Seph was one of the most wanted Guardians in the world." Cloud responded, still refusing to look at Leon.

"Okay, what is a Guardian?" Yuna wanted to know. I saw Kairi glance over at Yuna in an intimidation she tried to cover with her hair. But I caught it. And she had some explaining to do when everyone was gone.

"A Guardian is a protector of souls. See, there are Guardians, Mercenaries, and The Organization. Each group is made up of appointed souls, usually reincarnations of the original saviors but not always, and they protect the world and its people." Leon explained with a slight gloominess about his face.

"Yeah, and let me tell you, it is such a nuisance of a job to be one." Reno whined, throwing his arms over Rude's broad shoulders. My mouth dropped in disbelief. Wait…how the hell was Reno allowed to be something this mystical and prestigious?

He noticed my skeptical expression and scowled at me. "Shut up, at least I'm not a demon."

My face fell and Sephiroth yanked on his ponytail so hard that I thought he was going to rip it off. "Watch your mouth."

Something in my chest panged at Sephiroth's protectiveness, but I pushed it back. I wasn't meant to get along with my father. He wasn't a good person, and I shouldn't feel any amicable feelings towards him if I could control them.

"Uh…" Roxas and Axel both drawled, mystified, and I had to agree. I'm not quite sure I understood all of this either. See, even though Cloud and Sephiroth were my parents, the only resemblance of a historic explanation from them was about my monster man. Other than that, all of this was news to me.

"Don't worry, everything will be explained fully when you go to your respective academy." Sunny offered and Cloud grinned encouragingly. Of course, all of us teenagers burst out in disapproving shouts; what the hell could they be thinking?! More school?! What did they think- that we had loads of free time?

Cloud gave us all a stern look. "Guys, calm down. It's not as bad as you think. Once we assign you to your different schools, you'll see what I mean."

"Wait," Kairi cried, "we have to be split up?"

"Well yeah. You guys all have different powers; different skills…"

But at seeing Kairi, Kiwi and I all instinctively grasp hands firmly, Cloud's voice faltered. He turned to Sephiroth and Leon with a wince. I refused to be separated from them. If I didn't have Kiwi to make me a better person, or Kairi to be my support, I don't know what I would do.

"No reassignments. These assignments have been sent directly from The Council. You change them, you'll suffer the consequences." Sephiroth announced stiffly, his voice only softening when he added, "I won't allow you to suffer, Cloud. Do not put me in that position."

Cloud's eyes widened and he blushed, while Leon looked like he was about to blow a gasket in jealously. Ha…that's what he got for trying to worm his way in Cloud and dad's relationship. He had to understand, as much as I disliked Sephiroth, that the two were meant for each other. No stoic rock, no matter how good looking, was going to change that.

"Can we get this show on the road? Some people in this room have school to attend." Cid declared with a nod in Axel and Rikku's direction, and the two groaned. Aw man…I forgot about school! But what was the point in going now? By the time we got there we would have already missed first period!

Parents were so stupid sometimes.

"Alright, let's begin." Sephiroth said with little change in his voice. "The worthy souls who have been assigned to be Guardians are: Sora, Kairi, Riku," he shot us an I-told-you-so look and the three of us all tossed him sheepish smiles, "Roxas, Tidus, Wakka, Donald, Goofy, and two others to whom have yet to be revealed."

I gave Kiwi a glittering smile, one that had him blinking a couple of times in its brilliance. "I told you we'd all be together."

His shock at my beauty now deteriorated, he gave me a look. "You never even said that, Riku, you're making that up."

I pouted at him dramatically. "You don't…you don't believe me? You're supposed to be my best friend!"

"Anyway," Leon interrupted, annoyed, "the Mercenaries are: Rikku, Paine, Yuna, Lulu, Selphie, Seifer and Roxas."

Seifer?! Like, the kid who likes to beat up Roxas and Kiwi, Seifer? Oh hell no. "That ain't gonna fly."

Everyone shot me a confused look. "What?" Roxas finally asked, giving me a withering glare as if I was stupid. Woah woah woah, no need for all of that hostility! I was trying to help _him_ out! What had his panties all in a twist?

"Since when do bullies get to be honorary souls?" I demanded, and Kairi gave me a nod of support. But Cloud, Sephiroth and Leon merely looked at us as if we were little kids.

"People sometimes act the way they do for reasons we will never understand unless we ask them." Leon answered, as if he was talking about himself or something. Ugh, he was so self-centered and emo. _Hello_, this isn't about you!

Okay, okay, so he isn't all that. I just didn't like him.

"And finally, The Organization members are typically unknown, but they said they'll reveal their new members: Axel, Namine, Demyx and Roxas." Cid said with a proud grin in Axel's general direction. Yet, as everyone started talking to the respective members of their group, only one blonde, beautiful and opinionated person remained speechless.

"Wait…you guys assigned me to all three groups!" Roxas exclaimed, and that's when the room became silent again, for what had to be the umpteenth time today. I frowned. What…no, he had to be a Guardian, like Kiwi, Kairi and I! He couldn't be out of the group _again_.

"This is true." Sephiroth murmured thoughtfully, and I threw my hands up. Yeah, dad, that fixed things!

"You mean…no one wanted me, so I was just added to everyone's list?" Roxas guessed glumly, and Axel ruffled his spikes in a gesture of comfort. Or at least…in his mind.

"Actually," Tifa chimed for what seemed like the first time since early this morning, "I was one of the first ones who heard about the list when it was decided at your birth, and the reason you're on everyone's list is because everyone wanted you. You have a great destiny lying ahead of you."

This seemed to make Roxas' insecurities vanish, and I smiled up at Tifa in gratitude. I never know how to comfort Rox anymore. He was so independent now! I just don't know what to say to him when he's feeling bad. But Nurse Tifa seemed to have it down pat!

She met my smile with a bigger, brighter one, one that Cloud noticed. He frowned.

"Tifa." He said firmly, and she glanced over at him guiltily.

"Sorry." She whimpered before returning over to where the adults were standing.

Ugh, freaking Cloud! Why the hell was he such a bully to her?! I don't know what it is, but I find myself very protective of her, and if Cloud didn't back off, I was going to have to start something.

No…I'm not sure what I would start but…it would be something!

"Alright, since you guys won't explain anything else until we go to our academies, can I ask one last thing?" Kiwi asked, and I turned to him in surprise. What else could he possibly need to ask?

"Go ahead." Reno allowed with a voice of stoic authority, and Sephiroth yanked his ponytail again. "Ouch Seph, do you _mind_?!"

"Please proceed." Sephiroth told Kiwi, giving him his full attention, and he jumped at the sudden focus that the cold, kind-of-scary man was giving him.

"Uh…" He stammered, twiddling his thumbs. ""I was just…I was just wondering, not that I mind or anything but…"

"Spit it out." I encouraged, giving him a firm pat on the back to help the words come out. He glared at me as he continued to stammer.

"I mean…um…what happened to my hyperventilation syndrome?"

Everyone seemed to realize it at the same time I did. Come to think of it, Kiwi hadn't had a freak-out the whole time we were here. And that was kind of weird, considering all of the shit that had went down, back at Kairi's and here at the hospital. What was going on?

"I believe I can answer that one. Sora, we've been experimenting a new drug on you. We call it…Potion." Tifa explained earnestly. I scoffed. Potion? Wow, _that_ was a creative name.

"So wait, basically you just put it in his system and he just instant calms down?" Kairi wanted to know, curiously touching the bottle that Tifa had whipped out as evidence. "That's so cool!"

"I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with this." Sunny murmured, and Kiwi rolled his eyes at him.

"Oh dad, get with the times, will you?" He whined, also reaching out to touch the bottle. Unfortunately he had leaned too far over the edge of the bed, causing him to stumble and topple over and into Tifa. The Potion went flying into the air, and before I could even think about reaching for it, it splattered on the hospital floor with a sickening crash.

It was quiet, save for Kiwi's embarrassed chuckles and Axel's loud snorting. But trust Reno to break the uncomfortable silence, even in the most awkward moments.

"So does that cure being a klutz, too?" Reno deadpanned, and the room burst out in vocal pandemonium once more.

"_Oh give the boy a break, he's still growing!"_

"_Yes, but how do you expect him to save anyone if he can't even stand on his own two feet?"_

"_I hope there are some more potions…"_

"_Sephiroth, stop staring at me, you forfeited that right."_

"_Sora get off the floor, the floors aren't clean."_

"_Felicia, they clean the floors-"_

"_Dammit, stop telling me that!"_

But all of the conversations in the world wouldn't have been able to reach me. Because at that moment, Kiwi looked at me with those gorgeous blue eyes. I mean, _really_ looked at me. I'm not sure if most people get to live long enough to receive that look…that look of utter acceptance and loyalty, but if you do…

Don't let that person go.

* * *

**Extra:**

_Riku's School Schedule_:

1st period- Advanced Calculus AB

2nd period- Chemistry

3rd period- AP English 11

4th period- Study Hall

5th period- AP Government

6th period- Combat Class

7th period- Family and Consumer Science

_GPA_: 4.36

_Occupation_: School and the Road to Awesomeness

_Year_: Junior

_Age:_ 17

* * *

**Part Two**

We stood in front of the building, all of us reluctant as _hell_ to step into that huge, oversized torture hell hole. Yep. As Cid promised, being released from the hospital meant time for school, and it was time for us to get out of our moping, hang-over filled slumps and put on a happy face for our teachers.

After our parents stopped talking again, we had more questions, and they had more answers. Well, at least the ones they were allowed to answer. Some of them, they said, would be revealed in our academies so they couldn't really answer a whole lot.

_Question: What were those creatures we were fighting?_

_Answer: Heartless. But we can't fully tell you what they are._

_Question: What kind of hospital are we in, because there's a monster right across from us, and it isn't Riku._

_Me: Shut up!_

_Answer: You are in The Hospital for the Supernatural, the one you've been going to since you were babies. I guess you guys just haven't noticed._

_Question: What were the-_

_Answer: The rest will be answered later! God, shut up already so we can release you!_

Yeah, okay, sure, they'd better answer the rest. I'm so confused!

Kairi pushed the hair out of her face with a jerk and slipped on a pair of oversized Chanel sunglasses. Shouldering her backpack, she gave us all an understanding, yet nervous look before striding inside, her uniform skirt bouncing with the breeze and her shoes skidding across the pavement. I watched her go with a wistful smile. She needed to get better friends…

Roxas put up his black hoodie and turned back to Sora and I, giving us a two fingered salute before sticking his iPod headphones into his ears and trucking into the school and down the hall. This left me and Kiwi alone...

"Nervous?" I asked him with a smirk, adjusting my uniform and smoothing out my schedule. It said here that I had AP English next. And don't think I forgot about what Roxas told me. I had completely forgotten about my detention, one that he definitely did _not_ remind me of when he went to go serve it. But then again, he was still bitter back then, so…

Kiwi looked over at me with a sigh. Then with ease, he graced me with one of those goofy, genuine Sora Smiles that made me want to scream out in happiness. That single smile made me feel so much better.

"I'm alright. I mean, why would I be nervous? It's not like everyone remembers that we all got shitfaced out of our heads, sprouted random science fiction liked powers, and totally destroyed the interior of Kairi's house." Sora replied happily. I scowled at him. Really, was that necessary?

I began walking into the school, more than ready to get this day over with. Sora blinked after me before rushing to catch up, stumbling slightly to match my pace. I gave him a quick grin. "C'mon. We might as well get through this sooner than later. Gossip never sleeps anyway."

Kiwi flashed me a dry half-smile. "Right."

_**The Hallway**_

"So where are you heading next?" I asked Kiwi, partially to distract him from the stares and partially because I really wanted to know. He shrugged uncomfortably and blushed when someone walking besides us pretended to fall, just like him.

"Um, I have geometry next." He answered. We both continued walking down the hall, a little silently now, as we got closer to my homeroom.

I peered over at him. He was clenching his backpack strap with both hands and had this little pout on his face like the world was against him or something. Which, admittedly, I think it was. Kiwi had some pret-ty bad luck.

Man…I frowned. I hated to see Kiwi so distraught about something. It was probably just the whole stress of everything that had happened. But how could _I_ make him feel better? I _just _got back on good terms with him.

"So…Roxas has changed." I observed, spouting out the first thing that came to mind. And it was true; Roxas really was different. Not necessarily bad different. But definitely a different Roxas than the one I used to know. Sora raised an eyebrow at me.

"It's not like that's a bad thing, though. We all changed." He shrugged. "We had to." Then he gave me an uneasy smile. "You've changed too."

"So has your hair. It's much more…masculine."

Sora huffed and stuck his tongue out at me. "Are you implying that my hair was girly before?"

I grinned lopsidedly. Okay, now I was starting to feel a little more comfortable. Holding pointless conversations had always been our strong point.

"I'm not implying it. I'm telling you. Sora, your hair was girly before." I replied easily and he rolled his eyes at me. "He thinks he's so clever." He muttered to himself as he shook his head, but I could see him fighting off a smile.

"Mr. Tarada. Good to see that you are well. Cloud informed me of your…"accident" and I wish you the best of luck."

That voice. It belonged to the one person I was trying hard to avoid. Dr. Valentine. I turned around, noting in shock that he was _right _behind me, and forced a grin. But really. Was he serious? Cloud told him? And besides that, what did he even mean _the best of luck_? What, was that an insult in reverse or something?

I raised an eyebrow. "Cloud spoke to you?"

Dr. Valentine rolled his eyes. "Cloud never _speaks_ when he calls me. He only _exclaims _and _whines_ and _complains_. But yes, we did exchange words on your behalf. And he did plead your case on the fact that you were apparently emotionally and physically drained from anything involving work."

I grinned. Good old Cloud! He saved me from my detention disaster. I would have to stop harping on him about Leon now…well, at least for a little while.

"That being said," Dr. Valentine continued, his expression unchanging at my grin, "this does not affect your ability to make it to your designated detention. I am the head of detention at this school, and so I ultimately am the one who oversees your attendance."

My grin fell. Oh.

"You will now have detention everyday this week, and just because you have only been at this school for a day, doesn't mean we will go easy on you. Detention is no serious matter. I will see you after school." And with that, Dr. Valentine flouted off in all of his menacing beauty.

Sora gave me a sympathetic grin, one that told me he really didn't feel that sorry for me at all. "Tough luck, Riku."

I narrowed my eyes at him and smacked him on the back of his head. "Yeah, sure, whatever." Then suddenly I brightened. "Hey! We can eat lunch together today, right?"

Kiwi shuffled his feet and peered up at me with his wide blue eyes and I think I wanted to _die_, that look was so gorgeous. "You aren't going to be eating with Demyx and Zexion today?" He asked me, a little bit of hope evident in his voice. But I couldn't help it; I broke out in a wide smile at Zexion's name.

"Zex is here?!" I exclaimed, ignoring the weird stares I got from the proclamation. "Where?"

Sora frowned at the ground. "He came to talk to Mr. Vexen about something, but then Demyx saw him and convinced him to stay. I think he said something about tagging along with you since it's not like you're going to really be paying that much attention anyway."

I was starting to become aware that the hallway was starting to thin, meaning we probably only had about a minute or two before the bell rang, but I didn't want to leave Kiwi here in the middle of the hallway frowning like that. It was a look that felt so unfamiliar to see on him.

I scoffed. "Oh come on, Kiwi, it's not like I can't sit with you _and_ Zexion."

"Whatever. I'm going to class." Sora sighed, leaving me to stare after him in confusion. What the heck was his _problem_? What did I do?

"Riku!" Someone shouted, and I turned around just in time to see Demyx running towards me at full speed. I blinked at him. What was his rush?

"Hey Demyx, what's uuuuuupp?" My voice cracked on the word _up_ as I was yanked by my tie. Demyx had grabbed onto it and was now pulling me with him at high speed. Yes, it did hurt. And yes, it was choking me. Not so much that I would die, though. Luckily.

"We only have thirty seconds to get to class!" He shouted over his shoulder at me. I raised an eyebrow at him as my feet struggled to keep up with his pace.

"You know my schedule? How do you know we have third period together?" I asked skeptically, but I didn't slow down. I may have been caught off guard before, but now I was aware of my surroundings. And I really don't think I wanted _another_ detention.

"Zexion is kinda obsessed with your safety so he made me memorize your schedule so I could rescue you if you were ever attacked at school. I don't know how he expects _me_ to save you if something happened…I told him he really picked the wrong guy. But does that guy ever listen to reason? No." Demyx babbled as we sprinted down the hall.

I laughed. I didn't really know Demyx that well, but he would be someone that I think I'd like to get to know better. He was pretty funny. And plus…Zexion likes him. And he barely likes _any_one.

"Okay, here we are. AP English!

_**3**__**rd**__** Period**_

For once, Roxas wasn't in my class, seeing as how he's in the tenth grade, and I'm not going to lie, it definitely made a difference.

Oh, I mean we'd made up or whatever. And I love being his friend, because Roxas is quite easily the coolest guy you could ever meet. But you never know about Roxas…one minute he's forgiving you and the next he's re-blackening that black eye that just healed.

My teacher, this cryptically old ex-college professor who couldn't seem to talk about _romanticism_ without spitting (and I was somehow in the front row!), was so elderly that he couldn't seem to tell the difference between Edgar Alan Poe and Dr. Seuss let alone pay any attention to what his class was doing. So I fully prepared to lean back and get the sleep I continued to be deprived of now that all of this science fiction freaky deaky stuff seemed to be happening.

But when do I _ever_ get anything I want?

A small note landed on its tip right on my nose, probably granting me a paper cut in the one place you don't want to get one. Nevertheless I quickly opened the note to find the sender, and then figure out just what the hell they wanted to tell me so badly that I couldn't be allowed to take a much needed nap.

_Do you think Zexion has, I don't know, changed?_

_-Demyx_

I sighed. Really? Really. I don't think I was going to make it through the day without having to gossip with all the people I'm acquainted with. With a slight scowl, I licked the tip of my pencil (horrible habit- I've heard plenty of warnings from Cloud that I'll die of lead poisoning…whatever, better than dying of a broken heart, right?), and wrote him back.

**Dude, why are you asking me? I've been around him for three years. If he has, I wouldn't notice.**

But then I felt kind of bad for dismissing it when he so obviously needs a lending hand. So I added:

**But if you think so, I'm always here to help. You know…scouts honor, or whatever?**

**-Riku**

There. That should be enough to satisfy him. I had only closed my eyes for a second before another note got me square in the eye.

"The fu-" I prepared to shout until Demyx quickly covered my mouth from where he was sitting behind me. And I was grateful. Because at that exact moment our teacher, Professor Churn, had just been passing by my desk…

"Ah, Dem! You saved me from a year worth of detentions!" I exclaimed in a whisper when he passed. Demyx shrugged and gave me an impish half smile.

"It was nothing."

I stared down at the unopened note in my hand and immediately felt like an asshole again. Why couldn't I be blessed with manners instead of beauty?! I mean…

…ah, I don't even know what I mean. All I know is that this isn't what I expected when I moved back to Destiny Island. Being rude to people I didn't even know and not being on the completely comfortable platform that I want to be on with Kiwi…

This sucked! I was better off just staying in Bastian Bay until I graduated.

Anyway, I opened the note.

_It's just…I get this feeling that he likes __you__ more than he loves __me__. Which is weird, I know, but it's the vibe I keep getting. Axel told me to shut the hell up and enjoy my happy ending. But I keep getting the feeling that Zexion is keeping me at an emotional distance._

_-Demyx_

I stared at the note with my mouth completely agape. And I know I'm good looking and everything, but that's just not a look that looks good on anybody.

Demyx thinks that Zexion…that Zexion…

I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing. Everyone was staring at me, especially Demyx but I couldn't help it! The idea that Zexion and I could ever have some sort of emotional attachment was so ridiculous that it tickled me! I mean sure, okay, there was one point last year that I may have had a small crush on Zex, but come on. He's so mysterious and kind of sexy so who wouldn't? Besides, he's so much older than me.

Well, that didn't stop him and Demyx from happening, but we're both completely different people. I turned around and bit my lip to stop from laughing again in his face. He looked so genuinely concerned about this…how cute.

Okay, how could I say this without coming across as an asshole? "Demyx…Zexion, uh, would never like someone like me when he's head over heels for someone, err, like you."

Demyx, completely ignoring the frown that Professor Churn was shooting us, just blinked his innocent green eyes at me. "Like me? What do you mean, like me?"

I nearly slapped myself. I think Demyx and Kiwi had been hanging out too much. Naivety this strong must be contagious. "What I mean is that you're Zexion's perfect counterpart."

As Demyx seemed to ponder this, I felt my confident grin waver. I didn't know him _that_ well. I didn't want him to think I was being pretentious or whatever. "Not that I, uh, know you that well." I added for this benefit.

But Demyx didn't even answer. He was too busy lost in his thoughts, murmuring '_counterpart, huh?_' over and over.

Ooookay…this was too weird to ever acknowledge again…

_**Lunch**_

You know, I knew this was going to awkward. I mean, come on, somehow lunch with me is never Tea Time with the Tarada. But I didn't realize just how uncomfortable sitting at a table with Zexion, Axel, Namine, Demyx and Selphie was going to be with Sora next to me.

Not that I didn't absolutely love the fact that Kiwi was sitting here with me. It's just…I somehow get the feeling that there's some bad juju between Sora and Axel…

Not that he noticed. Kiwi never notices anything remotely awkward, or at least that's how it comes across. Even now, he was sitting next to me with his head buried in a book.

"Where's Roxas?" Axel asked Sora, bored, and having just made his eighth casual glance around the lunchroom. "Is he going to sit with us, or what?"

Kiwi peered up from his book. "I don't know why he would possibly want to sit here." He replied flatly, going back down to his literature.

Zexion and I exchanged surprised winces. Ouch. Someone was in a bad mood today. What was with him? He'd been snapping at Axel all day. Did Ax do something particularly disrespectful to him today, or what?

"You okay, Kiwi?" I asked him with a frown. This wasn't like him- to act so rude towards a friend. "Something happen?"

He met my bewildered stare with a raised eyebrow. "Did you know that licking a stamp leads to the consumption of 1/10 of a calorie?"

Well, that was the end of that conversation.

"Hey, Riku, do you mind taking a look at my portrait?" Namine suddenly asked, fidgeting with her fingers and staring down at her untouched sandwich. "I would normally show it to Roxas, but he doesn't…I mean…well, anyway, I heard you had an eye for art as well."

I had to hide the grimace that threatened to reveal itself. Why the hell would I want to look at her art portfolio when it was so apparent that she was the unshakable force managing to wedge its way between Roxas' happiness with Axel?

Okay, fine, I know I'm not supposed to discriminate against someone who I barely even know, especially when I haven't even heard her side of the story. For all I know, Axel could've swept her off her feet and completely blindsided her total reason, which would explain why she doesn't seem to care that dating Axel and having sex with him is hurting my ex boyfriend.

"Uh…sure Namine." I answered slowly, trying to ignore the annoyed glower Axel was giving me for having too much hesitation and the completely shocked wide eyed look Sora was shooting me for not having more of it. Ugh, could I not please anyone these days?

Namine seemed to just glow in happiness, and I couldn't help it, I grinned at her. She _was_ pretty cute…besides, was it fair to judge her? It wasn't her fault she was the other woman.

Kiwi didn't seem to think so. He shook his head at me and twisted further away from me in his chair. I rolled my eyes. This was going to have to stop- he might as well just accept that being close to me was in the job description for being my love interest and best friend.

Namine slid her portfolio across the table with a small smile, waiting until I had reached to pick it up before letting go of it. Wow, overprotective, much?

"It's the fifth one. I wanted to give it to Roxas, as sort of a thank you for not completely hating me…" She murmured, toying with Axel's fingers, which were enclosed with hers. "But, I guess there's no need for that now."

"Well, Namine, you did kind of sleep with his lover." Selphie admitted, finally joining the conversation. I gave her a playful nudge.

"Where have you been, Selphie, space?" I teased, and she rolled her eyes at me.

"Your manners are just as bad as your jokes. If you _must_ know, I was thinking about my One True Love, something I bet you haven't even considered you may have." She sniffed. I grinned. Oh, I'd considered all right.

I stared pointedly at Kiwi, and he stiffened slightly under my intense gaze, but was too distracted- or too embarrassed- to look up and meet my eyes.

Anyway.

The traitorous portfolio that sat patiently in my hands needed to be opened and inspected. As I slowly began to open it, Selphie sighed loudly over in Axel's general direction.

"You hear that, Axel?"

"No."

"I said I was thinking about my One True Love. Maybe you should start considering that person the next time you climb on top of one your fuck buddies."

"..." I glanced up in time to see the annoyed glower he was sending her before smirking and going back down to do what Namine asked me.

Just as I was about to flip through the pictures, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. I looked over at Namine, trying to disguise my relief. But she just smiled kindly at me and told me I could keep them as long as I needed to give her a dignified and worthy critique.

Great.

_**5**__**th**__** Period**_

"So, I heard you and Namine are friends now. Is it true? Are you really aligning yourself on Team Nami?"

That was the first comment I received when I walked into my government class for the first time. And let me tell you, it wasn't a very encouraging remark for a person who was just trying to fit in here. I blinked in the general direction of the voice, which was behind me.

Yeah, okay, whatever, I knew I should turn around. But can you blame me for not wanting to experience any more surprises than I was already routinely getting?

"No…I obviously care about Roxas much more than-" I began but stopped before I said too much. I didn't even know who the hell this person was. I swirled around to face my attacker.

Oh.

What a SURPRISE…

You know, those unexpected little things I was just _loving_ right now! Not.

"Oh, because by what Roxas tells me, it doesn't really seem like you cared about him at all, at least in the past. So I shouldn't be surprised that you're batting for the team of traitors." Hayner sneered at me, which was completely uncalled for!

What the hell was this guy's problem?! Jeez, he may have a major crush on Roxas as Kairi and Olette are suspecting, but this was way out of left field. Now, I'm trying to be a better person and unlike the monster that I tend to be sometimes, literally and metaphorically, but I've never been the type to take an unnecessary verbal beating.

"You have a problem with me, Hayner?" I growled, and at least the cargo jerk had the decency to look a little…well, intimidated. But only for a second. Because I guess he figured his unspeakable and undying love for his old best friend must be worth more than a busted lip and a bruised ego.

That calmed me down.

A little.

"Look man, I understand you're taking Roxas' side because you care about him and all, but you can't just go around picking fights with people you barely even know. I mean, jeez man, you just don't. Now, Namine was merely asking me to critique a gift she means to send to Roxas as a sort of…peace offering. So would you kindly get off of my damn back and let me help?" I didn't mean to be so gruff when I said all of this, but he kind of started it by throwing these insane implications. I mean, come on. Where did he even hear that I was chilling with Namine at lunch? Gossip sure does travel fast at this damn school.

But hey…maybe that tough love speech got Hayner to realize I wasn't the bad guy everyone liked to believe that I was. And hey, maybe we could even end up being friends! I sat down in the desk next to where he was standing and stared up at him pleasantly.

Finally Hayner seemed to blink out of his shock, because the next thing I knew he was shoving my books to the ground and angrily snapped, "You're in my seat, asshole."

A couple of kids snickered. I sighed as I picked up my books and relinquished the seat. So much for being friends, huh? Maybe I hurt his ego or something…maybe he thought he had to retaliate. Either way, that didn't justify trying to humiliate me in front of my unassuming peers. No, I doubt Hayner wanted to be my friend.

Besides, one more strike and I was going to kick this guy's ass.

**7****th**** Period**

I flopped into the closest seat I could find for my next class, Family and Consumer Science, in relief. Boy was I glad that government was over. Jeez, I can see why Roxas and Hayner would be friends. Their grudges are long and their loyalty longer. Hayner just made that class a living hell for me.

The teasing throughout the entire class period I could handle because I was used to it. I _know_ that my hair is a weird color, I _know_ that my eyes are squinty, I _know_ that I'm really beautiful for a man…I already knew all of that.

And I could handle the random shit being thrown at my back whenever the teacher wasn't looking, because I already had experience with that too, back when I was hated in Bastian Bay.

But what I wasn't used to was Hayner going around and whispering to all of my peers what I had done to Sora and Roxas; that was something I had never experienced. I don't know, I just never had my business all out and exposed like that.

It really sucks, actually. It's ten times worse than being approached while I'm peeing in the urinal and asked if I do underwear modeling. A thousand times worse! And that's pretty bad in itself, you know.

At least this class will be better, right? Hopefully there's no Hayner, no drama…

I looked up for the first time since I had rushed into the room and glanced at my surroundings. It was an average room complimented by average decorations with a couple of those inspirational posters that no one ever reads hanging on the wall. But it was the students in this class that really took the icing on the cake.

Sitting behind me was Roxas, his hoodie up and his iPod on so he had yet to notice me.

Sitting across from me was Namine, sketching Roxas while he wasn't looking with a remorseful expression on her face.

And to make matters worse, just as the bell rang, in strode Axel, with his hair pulled back and bandages visible on each arm, remainders of wounds that were cured just yesterday. And yet, he didn't sit down in the open desk next to me like I thought he would. Instead he walked across the classroom to the board. I stared. Uh, I know he was a trouble maker but…messing with the board? That was a little hardcore, even for him.

His long, thin and slender arms creating an appealing dance with chalk on the chalkboard, he turned to us and announced,

"Hey guys, I'm Axel and I'll be your teacher for today."

My mouth dropped. No…fucking…way…

"WHAT? How can you be the teacher?! You're…you're…you're…well, Axel!" I exclaimed accidentally, unable to stop the words as they poured from my mouth in shock. The class gasped, but Axel just looked amused.

"Oh pipe down, fairy, put a sock in it. I'm not you're real teacher. I'm the teacher aid for this class. But the real teacher, Mr. So-and-So, eh, sorry I don't remember his name, is out sick so I'm filling in." Axel explained with a dismissive hand wave. I paused. Oh.

Oh, okay then. I was cool with this. I just don't know how I would feel if Axel was my _real_ teacher. Ha, now _that_ would be weird.

"So that's why you never seem to have any classes! You've been filling in as the teacher!" I cried out in realization. Oh! Well that made perfect sense! I can't believe I hadn't considered it before…

"Now that your mind is at ease, can I start class now?" Axel asked me, and I blushed as I slunk down in my chair. I hated being called out in front of other people, even if it _was_ Axel.

"Alright, so it says here that-" Axel began reading straight off the syllabus before noticing one of the kids in the back listening to his iPod. "Dude, take off the fucking iPod before I do it for you."

The class gasped again, but the kid in the back just looked incredulously at Axel. "How come Roxas can listen to his but I can't listen to mine?!"

Everyone's head swirled around to see their substitute's reaction. The redhead just shrugged and let his eyes drop back down to the assignments. "Good question. I guess it's just because I'm a biased asshole, and I don't even know you. Either way, take them off."

I laughed. I couldn't help it, it was funny! But I guess I was laughing too loud for _some_ people's taste, because Roxas sighed loudly before tugging off his iPod plugs (which he should have anyway because they were against the rules!) and tapping me from where he was sitting behind me.

"I swear, it is like, impossible, to be in a room with you and just ignore you. _What_? What's so funny that you just _had_ to laugh louder than my turned-up-all-the-way iPod?" Roxas snapped, practically shouted, actually. But I wasn't fazed. This was completely normal Roxas behavior. Well, at least, it was now. I had to face the facts: sweet and innocent Roxas…was gone. And that was my entire fault.

Roxas stared at me in silence for a long moment before finally sighing and shaking his head, his blonde spikes going everywhere. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I've just been kind of stressed out, lately, what with the breakup and the supernatural stuff." He apologized.

My mouth nearly dropped open. Now here was a change I could live with! In my entire life, I had only received about three apologies from this beautiful and blonde hothead, and now he was just offering them up for free as if he'd been doing it his whole life! Whoa, way to make strides in life, Rox!

"That's okay. I've been told that I can be pretty annoying." I shrugged, and it was true. Practically everyone I've met has said that at one point or another. "Anyway, I was laughing at that."

"That?" Roxas followed my gaze up to the sexy, lanky redhead who was throwing chalk at the same overbearing kid in the back of the classroom. He sighed. "Oh…that. I've been trying to be mad at him but...I can't."

"It's hard to be agry at the ones you love..." I trailed off sympathetically, when Namine suddenly leaned in towards us with a nervous smile. Inside my head, I begged her to sit back and stay quiet. Warning, warning, stressed out Roxas, stressed out Roxas!

"Looks like we're all in the same class, huh?" She offered up, and I winced, expecting Roxas to rip into her and let her have it. But all he did was ignore her as if she wasn't alive, turning to me again and asking about how Kiwi and I were doing.

Ouch. Roxas was a hothead, so it was one thing when he got really angry and yelled at you. But it was an entirely different matter when he completely denied your existence. I mean…he must be truly pissed at Namine!

"Alright, so yeah, it says here that you guys are to pick partners and analyze your relationship? I don't know; you guys know what to do, right? Right. I'll expect your papers by the end of class."

"Uh, Riku, do you want be my partner?" Namine asked gently, and I opened my mouth to respond (with what, I wasn't sure), when Roxas asked, just as quietly, "Do you want to work with me Riku?"

Trying to be reasonable and fair for once, because I still wasn't sure if this was completely Namine's fault, I began, "Roxas, you just saw Namine ask me…"

"I didn't hear or see anyone ask any such thing." Roxas said seriously, and Namine's whole body completely fell. Oh man…I hated being cruel to others, even more, I hated seeing someone being mean to someone else, especially girls, but…I loved Roxas. If I didn't side with him on this, he might do something rash or dangerous; I know how much he hates to feel alone.

This was just something I was going to have to suffer through. Roxas needed me. And I wasn't going to hurt him again.

"Okay, Roxas." I accepted glumly, giving Namine an apologetic expression when Roxas wasn't looking. I hated this. But what the hell was she thinking, getting with Axel when she knew the love that Axel and Roxas shared? It was completely idiotic!

I flinched. Oh god…I sounded like Sephiroth just then.

"So are you going to the academy straight after school or are you stopping by your house first?" Roxas asked as he tried to get both of our minds off of Namine and Axel. Oh yeah, I forgot about our respective "academies."

After we were dismissed from the hospital, we were informed that our training started today, since apparently once you learn about being a Guardian, you have to instantly train to be one that very day. Ugh…it was just a nuisance! How were we supposed to do our homework?!

Not that I actually did my homework…

"I'm going to my house first. Well, at least after detention. But what are _you_ doing?" I wanted to know. Because jeez, the boy had to go to all three! At first it had seemed really cool that all three of the academies wanted him, but now that I thought about it that had to suck! Just thinking about my own experiences with people wanting me…it wasn't as cool as it seemed.

"I really don't know. I guess I'm just going to stop by all three? I'll figure it out." He murmured distractedly, and before we knew it, the bell had rung! I blinked and shook my head. There was another weird change from Bastian Bay. Back there, every class seemed like never-ending torture. But here, back in Destiny Island, every day felt shorter, every drama smaller than before.

"Catch you later, Rox." I grinned, and he rolled his eyes at me and cracked a smile before turning his iPod back on and striding out, not even noticing the way Namine had reached out for him with her drawing tucked in her other hand. I quickly zipped up my backpack as she remained standing there. I needed to hurry up; I wasn't trying to get caught up in my pity for Namine or-

"He hates me, doesn't he?" She whispered to herself, looking at me with sad eyes. I gave her an ominous shrug and tugged my backpack over one shoulder. This wasn't my battle. If she wanted to get all psychological, she could go talk to Sora. Well…if he was willing to toss aside his judgments for her.

"I knew this would happen, to some extent, you know?" She murmured to me as the rest of the kids filed out of class. "But I never even considered that Roxas would…that he would hate me!"

Finally my laissez-faire approach would work no longer, and now frustration was kicking in. What did she expect?! That he would just forgive her after stealing the love of his life away from him? I mean, I know it takes two to tango, but that was a line that, as Roxas' friend, Namine never should have crossed.

"Look Namine…I'm not the kind of guy who likes to take sides. But what you're doing is wrong, it is obviously hurting Roxas, and…you continue to do it. So as long as you plan to break his heart, please don't…um…confide in me with anything that has to do with him or Axel." I said, trying hard not say anything that might hurt her feelings. She was really fragile! I didn't want to be the one to break her into pieces. Her guilt had already made the cracks.

So giving her a small smile, I brushed past her, stopping at the door. I turned, noting that Axel and Namine were the only ones left in the classroom. They both looked up at me with different expressions of regret and stubbornness.

Why couldn't Axel stop being a coward and just tell Roxas _why_ he was doing all of this?

"I just can't, Tarada." Axel sighed, almost reading my mind. Namine, meanwhile, just looked confused. As I completely left the room and shut the door, I almost felt intense sorrow for her. If only she knew Axel's true intentions for dating her…

Or maybe she did know. People did crazy things when they were in love.

_**The Hallway**_

Ugh, detention was calling my name, but I was definitely ignoring it. I was already debating even going in the first place! I mean, what was one more truant detention?

"Don't even think about trying to skip out on your detention session before training." Kairi's voice suddenly warned, and I glanced up to find myself in front of her locker. How did that happen? Maybe my subconscious was just conditioned to go to her when I wasn't in a 90 to 100% mood.

"But it just sounds so boring!" I whined, flinging my body against the nearest lockers. A couple of girls watched my dramatic display and giggled. Yeah, well, glad _someone_ was having a pleasant day today.

"Well…think of it as a learning experience!" She rephrased, shutting her locker and pulling her arms into her backpack straps. "It can be like…educational research!"

"Aren't you supposed to be making it sound like fun? All of that sounds even _boringer_!" I complained, following her down the hall.

"I believe you mean _more boring_," she corrected with a smile, "and we're talking about detention here, not the circus."

"I hate the circus." I muttered, but she just laughed and dug into her purse for her sunglasses. "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime!"

I laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, because you're cool."

"Shut up."

As Kairi and I walked on, I looked around the hall, ignoring the faces staring up at me in awe, for a smattering of brunette. "So, where's Kiwi?"

Kairi snorted. "You're so predictable. Where did you think I was leading you to?"

I stuck my tongue out at her. I mean, I'm aware that pretty much everyone knows I'm kind of obsessed with Kiwi, but that didn't mean she had to rub it in and tease me about it! This was a very precarious relationship, and any wrong move from any outside force could push it in the wrong direction!

We turned around another corner and that's when I zeroed in on my little ball of clumsy cuteness. He was talking to Selphie, Tidus and Yuna, resting on the lockers with perfect ease…but not perfect grace. Before I even got over there I could already see the accident waiting to happen. The way he was posed- with his hands behind his head and his ankles crossed –told me that he was about to fall. So when he noticed Kairi and I, especially me, out of the corner of his eye and jerked up nervously, I was ready for the little tumble.

"R-Riku!" He breathed as I caught him again for the second time since I had arrived back in Destiny Island. "You caught me!"

I grinned down at him, enjoying the way he was in my arms. "I'll always be there to catch you, Kiwi."

As he blushed and I continued to grin shamelessly, I noticed the awkward way that Yuna and Kairi were looking at each other. Not to mention the annoyed expression on Selphie's face. That was strange. Why would Selphie be annoyed…?

My eyes widened. Oh crap…did Selphie love…

How in the hell does Kairi get herself in these predicaments?! She had a terrible taste in friends, and that's definitely including me.

"So are we all heading over to training together?" Kiwi asked cheerfully as he forcefully shoved his way out of my arms, for once managing to maintain his balance as he did so. I rolled my eyes. Sure, I would let him get away with that kind of behavior for now…

When it came to Kiwi, he could get away with a lot of stuff with me. Besides, he seemed in a much better mood compared to this morning. I would have to remember to ask him about that. I mean, really, what was his deal earlier today? Especially towards Axel!

"I don't think so, Klutz." Selphie sighed to him apologetically, and at his confused look she explained, "We're all assigned to different schools in different places. I mean, I know the Guardian academy is just down the street, but the Mercenary academy takes about half an hour to get to, just by driving."

"Man, I hate that we have to be split up!" Kiwi groaned, and everyone nodded in agreement, including me. But when he noticed my movement, he turned in my direction and gave me a chastising smile. "Shouldn't you be at detention, Riku?"

I rolled my eyes and reluctantly stepped away from him. Damn detention. "Oh yeah."

"Okay, so I guess we'll see you two tomorrow?" Yuna stated questioningly at Tidus and Kairi, and they both nodded like the faithful, love struck teenagers that they were before taking off for the hallway down the right.

"See ya, Klutz. Riku." Selphie and Yuna bid farewell before also departing for their training, going the opposite direction. That left Kiwi and I alone. Just the way I liked it. I grinned.

"You feeling better, Kiwi?" I finally asked him openly in concern, running the back of my hand down his cheek. It was tantalizing to be able to touch him, caress him, without fear of being slapped or put down by a lurking Roxas.

He raised an eyebrow and brushed my hand away. "Yes, I am, now that my problem has been solved." Noticing my frown from being deterred from my hand's trajectory, he snorted. "You're getting too comfortable, Riku. You're not in the clear yet."

"Still?" I whined loudly, and he shushed me with a laugh even though there was no one left in the hall. "Still."

"Oh alright, Kiwi, we'll play it your way. But I _will_ wear you down!"

"You already have…ass!"

But just as I started to walk away, I remembered one more thing that was bothering me. "Kiwi, wait!"

He stopped too, swirling around with an expectant look on his way. He probably thought I was doing the best I could to keep him from leaving. Ha, I probably was, truthfully. But nonetheless, I really did have a legitimate concern that needed answering.

"What, Riku?"

I strode back up to where he was standing, still waiting albeit a little impatiently now, and didn't stop until I was practically directly in front of me. He took a deep breath and let it out shakily. And even though I still had a question to ask, I couldn't help but milk the precious moments I was granted by being so close to him.

"What was that problem you had this morning? The one that you said you fixed?" I wanted to know, and he had to blink a couple of times to refocus on the main point of the conversation. Aw, was it because we were so close? Cute. I'm not going to lie, he was testing my self control.

His crystal, electric blue eyes widened up at me. "W-Why would you care?"

My own eyes narrowed. What did he mean, why would I care? Of course I would care! "You're my best friend Kiwi. Anything that bothers you, bothers me."

He looked away, but not before muttering, "I was concerned about a couple of things, actually. Most of them involving you."

I blinked. Me? What did I have to do with anything? I frowned. How come every thought Kiwi had about me was a concern? Didn't he ever have pleasant thoughts about me?

"Riku, what if that person who cursed you is still out there? I mean, I know Cloud and Dad said that they'll explain it in the academy but…doesn't that worry you? What if you're being targeted?" He finally demanded, looking up at me with eyes of stormy blue. "All of this supernatural stuff scares me."

"Well, Zexion thinks-" I began before Kiwi's scowl stopped me. What? What did I say?

"You like him, don't you?" He accused, and I groaned. Why did everything think Zex and I had a thing going on? We were just close friends! I know my track record with simply having platonic relationships was a little flawed, but I was capable of just having a friend.

"No, Kiwi, I like _you_. You and I both know that." I chided, and he blushed and shuffled his feet in embarrassment. "Any more concerns?"

"No." He mumbled, his face completely red, and I softened. He was so irresistible! How could anyone walk away from him?!

Well…I did, but I'm an asshole so I don't count.

"What about Axel? Is everything okay now?" I prodded gently, and his scowl returned. At my raised eyebrow he shrugged helplessly.

"I just...can't help the fact that I don't trust him anymore..."

Man…I could see where he was coming from but…I guess I kind of feel like if he knew the reasons why Axel was doing this to Roxas, he'd be more understanding? Or maybe not. There really weren't a lot of acceptable excuses for hurting someone you loved. But just the fact that Axel was only hurting him because he believed he was saving him kind of pushed the scale in his favor for me.

I brightened. Besides, Kiwi was such a kind-hearted, fair person. He wouldn't stay heated towards Axel for long!

"Is that everything?" I clarified, giving him a warning look that just dared him to hide anything else from me and he finally cracked a smile. "Yes, Mom."

"Good." I glanced at my watch. Ah crap, I was going to be late to detention! "I need to go!"

Kiwi laughed maniacally, and I raised an eyebrow. If that's the way he wanted to play it... "Don't you have cheerleading practice to go to?"

His laugh quickly welled up, and now it was my turn to cackle evilly. "Riku, I thought that was just for one day!"

"I didn't beg Becky Blecks to let you on the squad for nothing, did I? Our lessons aren't over; you aren't getting rid of me that easily!" I shouted over my shoulder as I took off for Dr. Valentine's classroom. Kiwi sighed loudly and watched me go with a small grin before realizing what he was doing and shaking his head.

Ha…looks like I was making faster progress than I expected!

We had already tackled two obstacles: my Kiwi had forgiven me for the terrible way I had hurt him and Roxas, and he had accepted the fact that I was harboring a demon _man_ inside of my soul…albeit he didn't know all of the facts.

All in all things were looking up!

* * *

**Indeed, things are looking up...for now :) Alright, so the reason I split this into two parts, but not two chapters was because a.) I really felt like they tied in with each other, b.) I didn't want to break the pattern of Sora/Riku/Sora chapters anymore, and c.) I'm trying very hard to get back on track with their normal lives. Or...at least as normal as their lives can be when heartless are attacking your house. Also, things will begin being explained at a faster pace. This may be one of the last extra long chappies for a while.**

**This chapter makes you wonder just how the hell you would have a steady relationship when there's a MAN in your body, huh? Lol. Welp, now Riku's secret has been revealed. But don't worry there's lots more to come! Oh, and as for Cleon...yes, I will admit that my fondness for Sephiroth/Cloud is starting to hinder my writing of their relationship, but I will get them back on track in no time. Don't worry.**

**Next chapter will be Sora's perspective of their day back at school, and the first Guardian Academy training day! As for his hyperventilation, because I know that a lot of you guys have brought up concerns about its disappearance...don't let the potion fool you, that's all I have to say. Remember Kairi's theory? Hehehehe...**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter...I will update as soon as I can!**


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